Religion of the Heart by Ekaterina Pustovalova

All glories to Çré Guru and Çré Gauräìga

Religion of the Heart

His Divine Grace Çréla Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswämé Mahäräj

© 2006—Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math All Rights Reserved by the Sevaite-President-Acharya of Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Kolerganj, Post Office Nabadwip, District Nadia, West Bengal, Pin 741302, India. ISBN: 9780615200323

Publisher Sripad Bhakti Premik Siddhanti Maharaj mathÅscsmath.com Sree Chaitanya Saraswata Krishnanushilana Sangha 487 Dum Dum Park, Kolkata, Pin 700055, India for: Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math, Nabadwip.

Editor: Bhuvana Mohandas 2nd edition revision: Mahananda Das Bhakti Ranjan in consultation with Sripad B.P. Tirtha Maharaj and assisted by Visakha Devi Dasi Cover: Ishabandhu Prabhu Paintings: Enakshi Devi Dasi et al. Poem translation: Krishnananda Prabhu Sanskrit proofing of 1st edition: Sadhu Priya Prabhu 1st edition: 2006 2nd edition: 2009 Printed by: Srinivas Fine Arts {P} Ltd. Velayutham Road, Sivakasi, PIN 626123, India

Religion of the Heart by O^ Vi!@upåda Paramaha^sa Parivråjakåchårya-varya Sarva-ßåstra-siddhånta-vit A!$ottara-ßata-ßr( Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj

who gives us the Supreme Conception of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu

Compiled from informal lectures and talks affectionately delivered to disciples and the public in various parts of the world including Italy, India, Ireland and California

Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xiii Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Part One The Glories of Devotional Service Chapter 1 The Service of V~ndåvan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Chapter 2 The Lord is not Impersonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Chapter 3 Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God in the Scriptures of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Chapter 4 Preparing to Understand K~!@a’s Transcendental Pastimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Part Two K~!@a’s Four Super-excellent Qualities Chapter 1 K~!@a’s Sweet Pastimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Chapter 2 K~!@a’s Wonderful Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Chapter 3 K~!@a’s Transcendental Flute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Chapter 4 K~!@a’s Unparalleled Beauty and Opulence . . . . . .101 Book List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108 Address List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110

His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj

His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Rak!ak Ír(dhar Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj

His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur

Íach(dev( and Nimåi

Ír( Pacha Tattva

Ír( Ír( Gaura Nitåi

Mah책prabhu in Govardhan

Mahåprabhu contemplates Ír( V~ndåvan Dhåm

Mahåprabhu bathes in Ír( Rådhå Ku@#a

Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu, The Golden Avatår

Ă?r( Chaitanya MahĂĽprabhu and associates

Ír( Ír( Guru Gaurå&ga Gåndharvikå Giridhår(, of Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Sevå •ßram, Soquel, U.S.A.

Ă?r( K~!@a, Reality the Beautiful

Introduction

would like to begin by first offering my respectful obeisances to my d(k!å Guru, His Divine Grace Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Mahåråj Prabhupåda and my sannyåsa Guru, His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj, the author of this book. These two great Mahå-Bhågavatas as well as His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Rak!ak Ír(dhar Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj have given me shelter and a chance to practice K~!@a consciousness. Although I am very fallen and helpless and full of faults, they have been kind and given their valuable energy to me as well as to so many others. I can only pray that one day I may at least come close to trying to do some service for them. This book is an inadequate attempt to show a small part of the vast treasure of transcendental knowledge His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj has been imparting to the world for the past eighteen years. Most know that Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj was personally given charge of Ír(la Ír(dhar Mahåråj’s Mission before his departure from this world. Ír(la Ír(dhar Mahåråj said publicly in 1985 that Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj has tirelessly and wholeheartedly assisted in the duties of organizing and developing his Ma$h, and also in the duties of establishing and developing other Ma$hs, as well as arranging many donors for these Ma$hs. He said he has provided much encouragement to even himself in managing and maintaining his Ma$h and is naturally disposed to serve the Ma$h and its residents, and that he is always endeavoring for the progressive development of Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h. Above all Ír(la Ír(dhar Mahåråj said Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj is well-known and unanimously acclaimed as being firmly established in the xiii

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Religion of the Heart

philosophy of the Perfect Axiomatic Truth of Bhakti as propounded by both himself as well as his Divine Master, Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur Prabhupåda. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj has shown this to be the truth as he has spread this perfect transcendental knowledge of Bhakti as he learned from his Guru Mahåråj. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj has been on twenty-four world tours {as of this writing} where he has met with sincere seekers and distinguished persons from all walks of life, and he preached K~!@a consciousness vigorously everywhere he went. He has appeared on weekly internet radio broadcasts as well as regular radio and TV shows for the past ten years and under his direction and inspiration over seventy centers of Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h have been established in over forty countries. 350 books and related articles in over twenty languages have been published under his direction establishing the perfect conception of K~!@a consciousness that he has carried from his Guru Mahåråj. By his influence so many sincere souls suffering under the horrible influence of Kali-yuga now have a chance to take shelter under the cooling rays of the Supreme Lord’s lotus feet. In 1941 Ír(la Ír(dhar Mahåråj wrote a ßloka and hoisted a large flag atop a tall bamboo pole in his Ma$h, which was just a small thatched hut at that time. That ßloka forecast the future glories of Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h and said one day they would be sung all over the world: ßr(mach-chaitanya-såraswata-ma$havaraudg(ta-k(rttir jaya-ßr(^ bibhrat sambhåti ga&gå-ta$a-nika$anavadv(pa-kolådri-råje yatra ßr(-gaura-såraswata-mata-niratågaura-gåthå g~@anti nitya^-r)pånuga-ßr(-k~tamatiguru-gaurå&ga-rådhå-jitåßå

Introduction

At that time some of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s Godbrothers chided him by saying he had only a small Ma$h with a few buildings and a few devotees, so how, they said, would the glories of his Ma$h be heard all over the world? Now due to Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj’s unflinching spirit of selfsacrifice and complete dedication to his Guru Mahåråj he has successfully established the supreme conception of his Guru Mahåråj in all parts of the world so those with a clean heart and desirous of real spiritual life can practice K~!@a consciousness under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. Due to his grace the sun never sets on Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h, and the flag that Ír(la Guru Mahåråj hoisted in 1941 waves in the favorable breezes on every continent. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj is the real Hidden Treasure of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj and our entire sampradåya. By his causeless mercy he is attracting the entire world and inspiring everyone from all walks of life and countries to chant the Holy Names of the Lord. From the North Pole to the South Pole and on every continent the sun is never setting on his divine conception. It is said Ír(la Prabhupåda built a house in which the whole world could live. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj has built a temple for Ír( Rådhå and Ír( K~!@a and Ír(man Mahåprabhu in which the whole world can worship and thus get free from the hard knot of material life that is so strongly trapping the j(va-souls in this age. He has strung a garland of the Holy Name of K~!@a around the world and made the world more beautiful by it. When we hear Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj speak about the Lord’s Pastimes, or for that matter about any subject, we are reminded of the third ßloka of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam which says: nigama-kalpa-taror galita^ phala^ ßuka-mukhåd am~ta-drava-sa^yutam pibata bhågavata^ rasam ålaya^ muhur aho rasikå bhuvi bhåvukå%

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Religion of the Heart

“The subject matter of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is very sweet because it deals with K~!@a’s Pastimes but those Pastimes have been made even sweeter because they were spoken by Ír(la Íukadev Goswåm(.” I hope we can see in this book that the sweet nature of K~!@a’s Pastimes are made even sweeter because they come through the lotus lips of Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj. Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj is a natural paramaha^sa. He is taking the sweet fruits of K~!@a’s Pastimes and making them even sweeter and more relishable by adding his own sweet nature to them. In 1955, when Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Mahåråj Prabhupåda received the first copy of the Ír( Gau#(ya Darßan magazine published by Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj, he commented that Govinda Mahåråj was a “transcendental humorist,” and “people would like to read articles written by him with great relish because they are not only instructive but also amusing.” I hope the reader will find this book both instructive and amusing. The preface is a Bengali poem “Your Fearless Lotus Feet,” written by Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj in 1957 for the glorification of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj on the occasion of his Ír( Vyåsa-p)jå. In this poem we are shown the perfect spirit of dedication and devotion an expert disciple has for his Guru as well as the perfect example of humility a disciple should have for his spiritual master. The poem also shows the deep insight into the higher siddhånta that Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj was so expert in, and that comes so naturally to him. Guru Mahåråj said he was a natural paramaha^sa and this is evident in this poem. In Part One he explains the gist of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu’s supreme conception of K~!@a consciousness based on the ßloka: •rådhyo Bhagavån vrajeßa-tanayas tad-dhåma V~ndåvanam, composed by Ír(la Vißvanåth Chakravart( ¢håkur. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj takes this ßloka and adds new life and a beautiful meaning to it just as he does with so many ßlokas. He explains and shows by logical reasoning how the Absolute Truth is a person, not an impersonal void or an abstract entity, and that person is

Introduction

xvii

Ír( K~!@a whose land is V~ndåvan Dhåm, the highest plane in the spiritual world. In V~ndåvan Dhåm all the residents worship K~!@a with great devotion but in different moods such as ßåntarasa—passive, dåsya-rasa—servitorship, såkhya-rasa—friendship, våtsalya-rasa—parental relation, and madhura-rasa—conjugal love, which is divided in two parts: wedded and paramour. The highest worship is shown by the Vraja-gop(s, and this is thoroughly explained in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam which is the supreme Scripture recommended by Ír(man Mahåprabhu. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj gives us this conception in a very beautiful, simple and straightforward manner and adds new life by drawing on many beautiful ßlokas from different Scriptures to paint a picture of K~!@a consciousness as only a true transcendental poet can do. In Part Two he takes us deeper into the subject matter of K~!@a consciousness and shows us beyond a doubt that K~!@a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the emporium of all rasa, Akhila-rasåm~ta-m)rti%, by presenting a fascinating description of His sweet Pastimes, His wonderful associates, His transcendental flute and His exquisite beauty, based on ßlokas from Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta {Madhya 23.82-83}: sarvådbhuta-chamatkåra-l(lå-kallola-våridhi% atulya-madhura-prema-ma@#ita-priya-ma@#ala% trijagan-månasåkar!i-mural(-kala-k)jita% asamånordhva-r)pa-ßr(-vismåpita-charåchara% But before he does this he cautions us in Chapter Four to first hear about K~!@a consciousness in a step-by-step process from a bona fide spiritual master. He says a bona fide spiritual master will not instruct his disciple in the higher Pastimes of the Lord in the beginning. When a spiritual master sees a disciple is ready to hear about those higher Pastimes, then he will instruct him, not before. If we don’t follow this caution we will get only “imitation Pastimes” or an “imitation diamond” as he says. We won’t get the real thing.

xviii

Religion of the Heart

Throughout the book Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj stresses the importance of worshiping K~!@a and shows us that the real way to worship Him is through Rådhå-dåsyam, service to Ír(mat( Rådhårå@(. And the way to worship Her is through Ír( Gurudev who is the embodiment of Rådhårå@( in the highest aspect, and of Nityånanda Prabhu in a little lower form. We get this knowledge of K~!@a consciousness through the descending process beginning with K~!@a Himself who spoke it to Lord Brahmå. This was passed on to Nårada and Vyåsadev and ultimately to our Gurudev His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj. The knowledge of K~!@a consciousness is always descending through the hearts of the pure souls and we can understand where a pure soul is by seeing “the shining lightbulb of transcendental knowledge that is burning in his pure heart.” This is the knowledge given by Vedavyåsa, Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur, Ír(la Guru Mahåråj, Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Mahåråj and now Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj. The theme of the book is vidvadbhi% sevita% sadbhir, nityam adve!a-rågibhi% h~dayenåbhyanujåto, yo dharmas ta^ nibhodata, that real religion extends from the Infinite Quarter, and when it comes to the finite, it will always come through those who are proficient in the Scriptures, advanced in their realizations, and deeply dedicated in their service. It cannot be man-made. It is coming from the highest quarter and those who carry it are also from that plane. We are very fortunate Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj is presenting the proper conception of Ír(man Mahåprabhu as he heard it from his Guru Mahåråj, adding his own deep realizations and sweet nature to this, and we are even more fortunate that he can present it in a clear and straightforward manner, as only a great teacher and devotee can do. And we are even more fortunate he is going all over the world, even in his ill health, trying heart and soul to give this great wealth to everyone who wants it.

Introduction

xix

In trying to make this book as an offering to His Divine Grace Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj I am sure I have committed errors, for which I am asking everyone’s forgiveness. I am from a very low born, sinful and offensive family where I was taught it is alright to engage in sinful and offensive activities, therefore I am a very fallen person and not qualified to do any service to Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj. Ír(la K~!@a Dås Kaviråj Goswåm( said he was lower than the worms in stool {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, •di-l(lå 5.205}: jagåi mådhåi haite mui se påpi!$ha pur(!era k($a haite mui se laghi!$ha I feel lower than them because at least they have a position in this world. However, due to my offenses to my Gurudev and the Vai!@avas, I cannot be counted amongst the living or the dead. Myself being in such a position, how is it possible this book has been so well received by His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj? I can only consider that any success has come from this endeavor due to his own causeless mercy and the grace of the devotees who have helped such as Ír(påd Sågar Mahåråj, Ír(påd Goswåm( Mahåråj, Ír(påd Trida@#( Mahåråj, Bhuvana Mohan Prabhu, Mahånanda Prabhu, Jagadånanda Prabhu, Vißåkhå Dev( Dås( and others too numerous to mention. Knowing this book to have appeared by the grace of the Vai!@avas, I offer with my whole heart this second edition to the lotus hands of His Divine Grace Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj. O^ Tat Sat Swåm( B.P. Siddhånt( Finished on Ír( Guru P)r@imå— Ír(la Vyåsadev’s appearance day: July 11, 2006 Second edition finished Ír( Govardhan P)jå, 2009 Nabadw(p Dhåm

Preface

Your Fearless Lotus Feet Vyåsa-p)jå offering for His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Rak!ak Ír(dhar Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj written by His Divine Grace Ír(la Bhakti Sundar Govinda Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj, in 1957.

Religion of the Heart

“Your Fearless Lotus Feet” 1} They come from such faraway lands Bearing gifts of worship in their outstretched hands, Fervently they hasten—your kinsmen in bands To greet you on this, your Holy Birthday. 2} At your Fearless Lotus Feet they happily rejoice With streaming eyes and stuttering voice, Horripilating body and a love that’s choice— Considering themselves most fortunate. 3} O most Magnanimous Master, gracefully forgiving, On this Holy Day to offer I have practically nothing, What little I have is sullied and trifling, Not worthy of offering to thee. 4} Burning in repentance for my one time thoughtlessness, Your feet’s shelter I beg in all repentance May I not ever lose you from inadvertence, Please grant only fearlessness to me. 5} Having lost myself in Måyå’s delusion I’ve found only flickering pleasure and convulsion On the giant wheel of virtue and indiscretion— And a garland of cradles and sepulchers. 6} Absorbed in a great purposeless search Away I have pushed the true wealth of this birth, And tossed between heaven and earth, I’ve gotten only a burning fever.

Preface

7} An abysmal hellfire ignites all around Projecting its snout while flames leap and bound, Expanding a huge cavernous mouth— Intending only to devour me. 8} World-engulfing and world-scorching flames Cause me to run hither and thither in torment And wearied I drop into a slumbering suspense In Mahåmåyå’s dense trickery. 9} This great sinner, this fallen outcaste Infatuated by the six enemies is aghast As lust and greed propel him fast— To the shore of the ocean of death. 10} My uncontrolled mind—a will o’ the wisp Takes no good counsel, though I give it the whip Carrying its burden in a subconscious grip— Hastens me to doom’s doorstep. 11} Please save me Lord¡ Out of your own kind goodness Your glance alone defeats Måyå’s madness O shelter of all the poor and helpless May the world behold your grace. 12} Måyå’s bonds I cannot break Your Lotus Foot Dust for to take Do sever these bonds and forever make Your Holy Lotus Feet my serving place.

Religion of the Heart

13} Many a helpless wretch has found Shade and shelter ’neath your ground But this fallen soul by Måyå bound— Can only heave long sighs. 14} The Nectar Ganges Name you brought Saved many helpless souls distraught And yet this worthless slave is caught— Deceived by day and night. 15} My self-surrender is just a farce To call my own, my wealth is sparse O Redeemer Lord¡ Do make me yours And call me your very own. 16} Your Lotus Feet I humbly entreat May Forever be my Object Sweet Lord, Bind and nourish me with daily service And the rope of your kind compassion.

Part One

The Glories of Devotional Service

Chapter 1

S´

— The Service of Vrndavan .

r( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu is non-different from Ír( Ír( RådhåGovinda. He appeared in this world to relish the sweetness of the transcendental mellows which Ír(mat( Rådhårå@( tasted in love of K~!@a. K~!@a did not have that opportunity; therefore He appeared as Ír( Gaurå&gadev. We can understand this by this ßloka of Ír(la Svar)p Dåmodar Goswåm(: rådhå k~!@a-pra@aya-vik~tir hlådin( ßaktir asmåd ekåtmånåv api bhuvi purå deha-bheda^ gatau tau chaitanyåkhya^ praka$am adhunå tad-dvaya^ chaikyam åpta^ rådhå-bhåva-dyuti-suvalita^ naumi k~!@a-svar)pam {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, •di-l(lå, 1.5}

Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( has also written: ßr(-rådhåyå% pra@aya-mahimå k(d~ßo vånayaivåsvådyo yenådbhuta-madhurimå k(d~ßo vå mad(ya% saukhya^ chåsyå mad-anubhavata% k(d~ßa^ veti lobhåt tad-bhåvå#hya% samajani ßach(-garbha-sindhau har(ndu% {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, •di-l(lå, 1.6} 7

Religion of the Heart

The supreme devotee of the Lord Once our Guru Mahåråj, O^ Vi!@upåda Ír(la Bhakti Rak!ak Ír(dhar Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj, was preaching in South India and he was invited to speak at an assembly of pa@#its. When Ír(la Guru Mahåråj was seated the pa@#its asked him some questions. They were all expert in Sanskrit and vastly learned in all respects. They asked him who, in his opinion, was the supreme devotee of the Lord? They said they considered the chatu%san—the four Kumår sages, Sanak, Sanåtan, Sanandan, and Sanat Kumår—to be the supreme devotees of the Lord. At first Ír(la Guru Mahåråj did not say anything, so the head pa@#it directly asked him, “Can you tell us, Sir, who you think the best devotee of the Lord is?” Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said, “I can tell you but can you accept what I say?” The head pa@#it replied, “Yes, if it is reasonable we can accept it.” Then Guru Mahåråj said, “In our conception the chatu%san are primary grade devotees.” The pa@#its were shocked to hear this. They asked Guru Mahåråj who, in his opinion, was a higher-class devotee. Guru Mahåråj answered, “There is a ßloka in the Ír(madBhågavatam that differs from your claim and since you have all read Ír(mad-Bhågavatam why do you say the four Kumåras are the supreme devotees?” Then Guru Mahåråj quoted that ßloka: na tathå me priyatama, åtma-yonir na ßa&kara% na cha sa&kar!a@o na ßr(r, na eva åtmå cha yathå bhavån {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 11.14.15} Here Lord K~!@a says to Uddhava, “The chatu%san’s father, Lord Brahmå, is their Guru; but he is not as dear to Me as you are. Even Ía&kar, Lord Íiva, who is the greatest Vai!@ava and who is

The Service of Våndävan

always chanting My Holy Name, is not as dear to Me as you. Lak!m(dev(, the Goddess of Fortune who resides on My chest, is also not as dear to Me as you. Even My own Self, naivåtmå, is not as dear as you are. You are My most dear devotee.” K~!@a told Uddhava he is His most dear devotee and when Ír(la Guru Mahåråj gave this answer the pa@#its were stunned. But after Uddhava went to V~ndåvan and saw the Vraja-gop(s and the Vraja-vås(s mood of devotion, dedication and wholehearted service, he said: åsåm aho chara@a-re@u-ju!åm aha^ syå^ v~ndåvane kim api gulma-latau!adh(nåm yå dustyaja^ sva-janam årya-patha^ cha hitvå bhejur mukunda-padav(^ ßrutibhir vim~gyåm {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.47.61} “If I can take my birth as a piece of grass on the footpaths of V~ndåvan where the Vraja-gop(s walk so the dust of their feet will bless me, I will feel my life is successful.” There is no doubt K~!@a is more satisfied by the devotion of the gop(s than He is satisfied with His dearest disciple Brahmå, or with His dear brother Sa&kar!a@, or with Ír( Lak!m(dev(, who always resides on His chest, or even with His dearmost devotee, Lord Íiva. The Vraja-vås(s, especially the Vraja-gop(s, have this type of dedication, devotion and wholehearted service attitude; and Uddhava, the dearest devotee and disciple of Lord K~!@a, declares this. This is real K~!@a consciousness, and real K~!@a consciousness is proceeding in this line. K~!@a, Arjuna’s charioteer Many people have many different ideas and conceptions about K~!@a consciousness but they all accept K~!@a as the Supreme

Religion of the Heart

Personality of Godhead. In some of them, K~!@a’s position is like that of a master. In the Bhagavad-g(tå K~!@a teaches Arjuna like a spiritual master. He gives spiritual knowledge to him, so the followers of this line generally worship the “G(tå-K~!@a,” or the K~!@a who presented the Bhagavad-g(tå to this world. An example of this is when K~!@a and Arjuna were on the battlefield of Kuruk!etra and they saw millions of soldiers ready to fight. Previously Duryodhana and Arjuna both wanted to ask K~!@a for His help in the battle, so when K~!@a was sleeping, they both went to see Him. When K~!@a awoke He saw Arjuna first. Duryodhana was a great personality and like an elder brother to Arjuna but when K~!@a saw Arjuna first, He asked him why he had come. Arjuna said, “King Yudhi!$hir has sent me to ask for Your help in the battle of Kuruk!etra.” K~!@a said, “I thought that was the reason you came and I think Duryodhana has also come for the same reason, but I am not going to fight in this battle. I shall not use any weapons. If I can give any other help I will do that. I have millions of soldiers and they can fight. I am giving you first choice, Arjuna, please choose.” Arjuna said, “I need You¡” K~!@a said, “Alright, alright¡” Then K~!@a looked to Duryodhana and said, “Is that alright with you? Are you happy?” Duryodhana said, “Yes, that is very good, especially if You will not fight. Is that Your promise?” K~!@a replied, “Yes¡ Yes, I shall not fight.” Then Duryodhana said, “If You will not fight, then what Arjuna said is alright with me. Shall I get all Your soldiers?” K~!@a agreed and said, “Yes¡” Both left very happily. Duryodhana was thinking he had all

The Service of Våndävan

K~!@a’s soldiers, and Arjuna was happy because K~!@a had accepted his proposal. After Duryodhana left, Arjuna stayed and K~!@a said, “Arjuna, you are very foolish¡ Why did you take Me when you heard I would not fight? You could have had all of My soldiers.” Arjuna said, “I am not afraid to fight with that group. It is not difficult to fight with them. I can fight with everybody but I need Your help in this battle. I have one request from You.” K~!@a said, “What is your request?” Arjuna asked, “Will You be my chariot driver while I am fighting?” K~!@a was very happy to hear this. He said, “To be a chariot driver is not such a respectable position but to be your driver is very respectable. I accept your proposal. I will be very happy to stay with you.” When both sides were ready to fight, Arjuna said, Senayor ubhayor madhye, ratha^ sthåpaya me ’chyuta {Bhagavad-g(tå, 1.21}, “O K~!@a¡ Please, place my chariot between the two armies. I want to see who has come to fight.” This is very nice and expresses one form of K~!@a. He is carrying out the order of Arjuna and then He instructs Arjuna as a spiritual master. Subjective perceptions of the Lord When K~!@a was fighting with Ka^sa in Mathurå He was young and apparently unqualified. When He came to kill Ka^sa, He wasn’t carrying much with Him. He had only a flute and a stick for herding the cows. His dhot( was rolled up like short pants. Ka^sa had invited K~!@a in order to kill Him. Externally Ka^sa announced there would be a wrestling match so there could be some sport between K~!@a and Balaråm and his wrestlers but secretly Ka^sa wanted to kill K~!@a. One ßloka in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam explains how different types of persons saw K~!@a when He entered the arena:

Religion of the Heart

mallånåm aßanir n~@å^ nara-vara% str(@å^ smaro m)rtimån gopånå^ sva-jano ’satå^ k!iti-bhujå^ ßåstå sva-pitro% ßißu% m~tyur bhoja-pater virå# avidu!å^ tattva^ para^ yoginå^ v~!@(nå^ para-devateti vidito ra&ga^ gata% sågraja% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.43.17} All the wrestlers saw K~!@a as death personified, mallånåm aßanir. They were very much afraid to see this fourteen-year-old boy who looked like He was twenty-one. He was tall and wore His dhot( very short, like short pants. When He entered the arena, all the fighters were thinking death personified had come to kill them. N~@å^ nara-vara%, all the kings and their sons, the princes, saw K~!@a as the King of kings. He was actually a cowherd boy but He appeared as the greatest of all kings. Str(@å^ smaro m)rtimån, the women were also invited to see the fighting and when they saw K~!@a they saw Him as the embodiment of Cupid. When they saw K~!@a’s beauty and effulgence, they fainted. The cowherd men were also invited, gopånå^ sva-jano ’satåm. Everyone was invited. The cowherd men were thinking, “Our friend is coming¡ Now a member of our society is coming, our boy is coming¡” The evil kings who were always harassing their people were thinking, “Our ruler is coming to punish us,” k!iti-bhujå^ ßåstå. Nanda Mahåråj and his fatherly group of friends were thinking, “Our own boy has come,” sva-pitro% ßißu%. Ka^sa was thinking his death had come in the form of Balaråm and K~!@a, m~tyur bhoja-pater. All the religious experts were thinking, “Paramåtmå has come

The Service of Våndävan

in the form of Balaråm and K~!@a,” virå# avidu!å^ tattvam. The yog(s were thinking, “The Supreme Personality of Godhead has come,” Tattva^ Para^ yoginåm. And, v~!@(nå^ para-devateti, the members of the Yadu dynasty were thinking, “Our worshipable relative has come”—vidito ra&ga^ gata% sågraja%. The perfect conception of K~!@a Consciousness But a very few exceptional devotees and those who have the finest conception of K~!@a consciousness and who come in the line of Ír(man Mahåprabhu think the perfect conception of K~!@a consciousness is fully manifest in Vraja Dhåm where there are five kinds of divine ecstatic relationships playing freely and happily with the Lord. A small hint of K~!@a’s transcendental abode is given in the Brahma-sa^hitå. When Mahåprabhu was in South India He discovered the Brahma-sa^hitå. He had previously heard of it, but when He saw it, He was surprised and said, “Sei pu&thi nila lekhåiyå, give me the fifth chapter. The whole book of one hundred chapters isn’t necessary. I want only the fifth chapter for My devotees.” He brought Ír( Brahma-sa^hitå as well as Ír( K~!@a-kar@åm~ta back from South India to Jagannåth Pur(. V~ndåvan Dhåm is expressed in Ír( Brahma-sa^hitå During Lord Brahmå’s meditation on the Gåyatr( Mantra, Lord Brahmå heard the transcendental sound vibration of K~!@a’s flute and the whole realm of V~ndåvan Dhåm revealed itself in his heart. He saw everything: the transcendental abode of K~!@a, the Vraja-gop(s playing, the cowherd boys, the trees, the plants, an infinite variety of beautiful flowers, lush ripe fruits and crystal clear water. He saw the complete environment of V~ndåvan in his meditation and He expressed this in Ír( Brahmasa^hitå {5.56}:

Religion of the Heart

ßriya% kåntå% kånta% parama-puru!a% kalpa-taravo drumå bh)miß chintåma@i-ga@a-may( toyam am~tam kathå gåna^ nå$ya^ gamanam api va^ß( priya-sakh( chid-ånanda^ jyoti% param api tad åsvådyam api cha sa yatra k!(råbdhi% sravati surabh(bhyaß cha su-mahån nimeßårdhåkhyo vå vrajati na hi yatråpi samaya% bhaje ßvetadv(pa^ tam aham iha golokam iti ya^ vidantas te santa% k!iti-virala-chårå% katipaye Ír(ya% kåntå% kånta% parama-puru!a%, all the women in K~!@a’s abode are very beautiful. They are like beautiful goddesses and all wealth is with them. They are always trying to satisfy K~!@a and they always worship Him. In V~ndåvan, K~!@a is the only enjoyer, and everyone supplies enjoyment to Him; therefore they get double enjoyment. When someone supplies food to another person, who gets the most enjoyment? The person who supplies the food gets the most enjoyment. K~!@a is the only enjoyer but those who supply enjoyment to Him get even more enjoyment than Him. There is no sadness in K~!@a’s abode. There everything exists in a very happy and ecstatic mood. When you eat an apple the apple is happy to be eaten by you and you are happy when you are eating the apple. Both are happy. When someone is eating a banana the banana is happy and laughing. When a person is eating he is very happy. Everyone is always very happy in K~!@a’s abode. In K~!@a’s abode all the trees are wish-fulfilling trees, kalpataru. If you want a mango from a banana tree you can get a mango. If you want an apple from a jackfruit tree you can get an apple. And the earth—bh)miß chintåma@i—can give you anything you want. If you want milk, wheat or anything you can get it from the earth. The residents of V~ndåvan don’t wear any golden rings, pearls or any jewelry. It is not because there is no jewelry in V~ndåvan,

The Service of Våndävan

it is because they like the flowers of V~ndåvan. They wear flower jewelry. Every flower is very beautiful and glorious. There is one special flower in heaven called the pårijåta flower. Indra, the God of Heaven, is very proud because he has the pårijåta flower. There are millions of different flowers like the pårijåta flower in V~ndåvan. Everywhere you will see beautiful flowers. We have had a little experience of this. When we went to Badarikåßram on parikramå there were flowers growing everywhere. It is a natural flower garden. No one gives them any nourishment; they are growing naturally. If you could see this you would understand there are examples of V~ndåvan on Earth. Of course one example is not fully sufficient by itself but it can give us an idea of the reality of that divine land. Toyam am~tam, all the water in that divine land is like nectar and the talking is like the sweet singing of birds, kathå gånam. From outside you can’t distinguish whether they are talking or singing. You will think they are all singing but actually they are talking. Nå$ya^ gamanam api, all the walking in V~ndåvan is like dancing. You can’t tell the difference between walking and dancing. They are always dancing. Api va^ß( priya-sakh(, the sound of K~!@a’s flute is always flowing over V~ndåvan. Only one song comes from K~!@a’s flute and that is the sound of the Gåyatr( Mantra, O^. It can deliver the entire world. Only one sound is necessary to rescue the whole world and that is the song of K~!@a’s flute. Complete fulfillment We can’t imagine how much happiness exists in V~ndåvan. Everything is gracious, glorious, and extremely beautiful there. Paramour love {parak(ya bhåva} is extremely beautiful there. Sometimes Mother Yaßodå is frying food and when K~!@a smells it He says, “Give it to me now, I can’t wait¡” Mother Yaßodå says, “Wait, wait, I'll give it to you on a plate¡” And K~!@a

Religion of the Heart

says again, “I can’t wait¡ I don't want to wait¡ I must have it now¡” This is characteristic of the mood of parak(ya bhåva which is more worshipable than other rasas and finds its highest expression in paramour love. In V~ndåvan, K~!@a is always playing with His friends. Sometimes when He plays His flute He says He would like to play in such and such kuja {forest grove} with certain friends. Sometimes He puts His hand on His hair and all the girls think it is a signal He will play with them in Keß( Kuja {keß( means hair}, so the girls think of arranging things there for playing. Lord Brahmå described the abode of Ír( K~!@a in the prayers of Brahma-sa^hitå and Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu has given the gist of that conception in a ßloka composed by Ír(la Vißvanåth Chakravart( ¢håkur: årådhyo bhagavån brajeßa tanayas tad dhåma v~ndåvanam ramyå kåchid upåsanå braja-vadh)varge@a yå kalpitå ßr(mad-bhågavata^ pramå@am-amala^ premå pumartho mahån ßr( chaitanya mahåprabhur-matam-ida^ tatrådaro na% para% The essence of this ßloka is: “If you want to worship anything, for your complete fulfillment you must worship K~!@a.” The supreme conception What are the qualities and qualifications of K~!@a? What do you need? You need love, beauty, charm, ecstasy, affection and harmony. All these qualities are present in K~!@a. If your Master is rich with all the wealth of love, beauty, charm

The Service of Våndävan

and ecstasy you won’t experience any deficiency—you will get everything through His mercy. K~!@a has many expansions and they also possess these qualities of wealth, beauty, love and charm. This is the Vedic conception, the conception of Vedavyåsa and the supreme conception of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu.

Chapter 2

The Lord is not Impersonal

The Lord has form and His form is very beautiful

verywhere in the Scriptures it says the Lord has form. He is neither niråkåra nor nirviße!a, without form or qualities. He has form and qualities, saviße!a, whether we can see it or not. If He didn’t have form the creation of this material world wouldn’t be possible. This is easy to understand. As a human being I have a brain and thus I have the ability to think, feel and will; so it is not possible the Lord, my Creator, does not have these qualities. The whole universe was created by a conscious power, and that power is a guardian power. It is a fully conscious power whether we can see it or not. The Upani!ads say: apå@i-pådo javano grah(tå paßyaty achak!u% sa ß~@oty akar@a% {Ívetåßvatara Upani!ad, 3.19}

Religion of the Heart

The Lord is present everywhere. He is in the smallest atom— a@or a@(yån—and He is in the biggest universe—mahato mah(yån. He can see and hear everything perfectly. The Lord has an identity and an external form and that form is like the glow of a fire or the sunshine which emanates from the sun. The Brahma-sa^hitå {verse 40} also says: yasya prabhå prabhavato jagad-a@#a-ko$iko$i!v aße!a-vasudhådi-vibh)ti-bhinnam tad brahma ni!kalam anantam aße!a-bh)ta^ govindam ådi-puru!a^ tam aha^ bhajåmi The external form of the original person, Govinda, is called brahma, or the brahmajyoti, and brahma is like the glow of a fire or the sunshine which emanates from the sun. Brahma is not the Lord’s complete form. When you see the light of brahma, or glow, from a distance it appears to be His complete form but if you enter into that glow, what will you see? You will see, jyotir abhyantare r)pam, atula^ Íyåmasundaram—you will see the eternal form of the Lord, Íyåmasundar, who is very beautiful and who has a blackish complexion just like a rain cloud. The nyåya {logic} Scriptures give an example of this. When we see a forest from a distance we may see a bird enter it. From a distance it appears the bird disappears or merges into the forest. We cannot see anything inside the forest; but if we can enter the forest we will see the bird has a nest, a husband and babies and she is playing with her babies. From inside the forest we see many things but from a distance we only see the outline of the forest. The effulgence of the abode of K~!@aloka is similar. It is called paravyoma. From a distance paravyoma appears as brahma, but as it is said in the above ßloka, tad brahma ni!kalam anantam aße!abh)tam—inside that glow Govinda is living and He is playing with His family and associates just like an ordinary human being.

The Lord is not Impersonal

Natural tendency—real religion Once a devotee of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu, named Sanåtan Goswåm(, asked Him, “Who am I and why do we go to different species of life after we leave this body, and why do we suffer so much in this material world? ‘ke åmi’, ‘kene åmåya jåre tåpa-traya’ ihå nåhi jåni—‘kemane hita haya’ {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 20.102} Mahåprabhu replied that all the Scriptures say the j(va-souls have an eternal spiritual body. Through their own activities {karma} they are getting the results of those activities, and those results take them to different bodies such as a human body, an animal body or a plant body. We are now aware of this because science has proved that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So the question is, how can we get relief and liberation from the illusory environment and how can we find our own joyful happy life where there is no sorrow or unhappiness? Mahåprabhu said real religion {dharma} means everyone and everything has some natural tendency and it is necessary to discover what that natural tendency is. For example, water is liquid. Wherever it is, it will flow downwards. That is its natural tendency. Fire is hot and it will burn. If it gets cool or goes out, that is not its natural position. The sky also has its natural tendency or religion. It tries to observe everything in the universe. The planets have their own religion. They are always moving in a natural synchronized way. Mahåprabhu said the natural tendency of everyone and everything is their real religion. All j(va-souls have their own religion {jaiva dharma}, and the one thing everyone has in common is they are all able to think, feel and will; plus they all have their own spiritual bodies. And, since the j(va-souls are small, they will naturally be attracted by a greater power.

Religion of the Heart

Magnetic attraction In the ®g Veda, which contains seventy-five percent of the wealth of the Vedas, there is this famous mantra {1.22.20}: o^ tad vi!@o% parama^ pada^ sadå paßyanti s)raya% div(va chak!ur-åtatam tad vipråso vipanyavo jåg~vå^sa% samindhate vi!@or yat parama^ pada^ The primary meaning is that in our search for spiritual life and God, it is not necessary to immediately mention the Name of K~!@a. In this world and in the spiritual world there is a powerful glow which is like the glow of the Sun which is called the brahmajyoti. We, the j(va-souls, are like tiny rays of that glow and we exist in that glow. That glow has a powerful magnetic effect, and everything that exists in this mundane world exists in that glow, and the qualities that exist in the spiritual world are much greater than the qualities found here. Since that glow has a strong magnetic power, everything is attracted by it. How are they attracted? By its beauty, its charm, its love, its affection and its harmonious dealings. Whatever we want exists in that large glow and is attracting us. We have all come from that glow and we are small particles of that glow. We are like sun rays in the sunshine, or waves in the ocean. We are all very small, like atoms. All our power—our thinking, feeling and willing—comes from that powerful glow, and that powerful glow is attracting the smaller particles of power, the j(va-souls, like a magnet attracts iron particles. Unfortunately, the iron has become rusty, and the j(va-souls are not attracted; that magnetic power cannot attract them, so they are going to the mundane environment. Clean your mirror Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu said it is natural that the j(va-souls want to go to their own abode, because that abode is transcen-

The Lord is not Impersonal

dental and the j(va-souls are also transcendental. When a particular sådhu came from India to the West some years ago, he was honored as a representative of Indian religion, although he wasn’t actually a representative of the religion of the Vedas. When he gave a lecture at the University of Chicago, all religious leaders of the world were present. He began his lecture with these words, “My brothers and sisters in America¡” Everyone was charmed when they heard this. Everyone was thinking, “We are brothers and sisters of this Indian sådhu.” By his humble and inviting mood he showed the real mood of the Vedic religion. We are all brothers and sisters because we have all come from that same big glow and we all have the same qualities in our heart. Naturally all the j(va-souls want to go to their own abode but because they are covered by the illusory environment they cannot see that glow, and because of their small ability to be attracted, that glow cannot attract them. Mahåprabhu gave the example of a mirror. He said chetodarpa@a-mårjjanam. When a mirror is covered by dust we cannot see ourselves. If we clean the dust, we can see ourselves. He said it is necessary to clean the dust from the j(va-soul’s own form, then all the j(va-souls will get their own natural religion back. They will be attracted, naturally, by their own abode. I am describing this glow, this effulgence of the Lord’s abode as a transcendental glow, but actually it has an infinite form. The Taittir(ya Upani!ad {3.1} says: yato vå imåni bh)tåni jåyante yena jåtåni j(vanti yat prayanty abhisa^-vißanti tad brahma tad vijijåsasva “All the j(va-souls and all the universes have come from that abode. That glow is maintaining all the j(va-souls as well as all of the universes and it is the place where they will go at the end of

Religion of the Heart

creation. It exists as part of the complete spiritual body of the Lord.” It is said in our Scriptures, the Vedas: ß~@vantu vißve am~tasya putrå%, “O sons of nectar, sons of the nectarean ocean-sea, you are born of nectar, and you are born to taste nectar. Why are you suffering with birth and death and many other unwanted things? You have your own abode. Please come back to that abode.” asato må sad gama%, tamasa må jyotir gama%, m~tor ma am~ta gama% {B~hadara@yaka Upani!ad} “From the mortal, go to the eternal. From ignorance, from darkness, go to knowledge. Go to light. From unhappiness, go to happiness.” All Scriptures give us this advice: “Don't go to the illusory environment. Go to reality.” Soul’s choice Ír(la K~!@a Dås Kaviråj Goswåm( said: k~!@era yateka khelå, sarvottama nara-l(lå, nara-vapu tåhåra svar)pa, gopa-veßa, ve@u-kara, nava-kißora, na$a-vara, nara-l(låra haya anur)pa {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 21.101} Sometimes we see ourselves in a very fallen position, something like that of a beast, which is to say our feelings may come in that way if we can understand how great the difference between our material and spiritual form is. In the spiritual world there is form and in the material world there is form but the difference between the two is very great. K~!@a has given everyone freedom. He says in the Ír(mad Bhagavad-g(tå {9.25}:

The Lord is not Impersonal

yånti deva-vratå devån, pit§n yånti pit~-vratå% bh)tåni yånti bh)tejyå, yånti mad-yåjino ’pi måm “If you want to go to heaven you can worship the deva-vratå, the demigods. If you want to go to where your forefathers are you can worship the planet where they have gone, pit~-loka.” But finally K~!@a gives His advice: “Those who worship Me will come to My abode.” When I first joined Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s Mission I would sometimes stay with Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Prabhupåda in Calcutta as the Calcutta branch of Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h was in his house. Every day I went for collection and preaching and many people would ask me why they should worship K~!@a instead of Mother Kål(. I didn’t know what to tell them so I asked Prabhupåda and he said jokingly, to tell them: “What will you get by worshiping Mother Kål(? What will be your food and who will be your associates?” Then he would say to tell them, “Mother Kål( lives in the cremation fields where there are many ghosts and other undesirable things. Her food is the blood of her sons, the asuras, after she kills them, and her garland is made of their skulls. This is Mother Kål(’s style. If you want to be her associate we don’t object, but our K~!@a lives in V~ndåvan Dhåm where He has many girlfriends, lots of cheese, milk, sandeßa, butter, fruits, sweets and many other wonderful things. There we shall eat and play with the cows and cowherd boys in the fresh waters of the Yamunå. We shall play in the nice gardens and beautiful forests nestled around Govardhan Hill. There are many wonderful things described in V~ndåvan and we will become associates of K~!@a there. We want that life¡ So you can do what you like.” Ír(la Prabhupåda always gave me good advice and nourishment like this. Sometimes Prabhupåda would take me to preaching programs. He was firmly situated in the Bengali chemical industry

Religion of the Heart

and had a lot of higher class friends. They would invite us to their homes for preaching programs and since I was wearing saffron, Ír(la Prabhupåda would have me sit on the Vyåsåsan. In India saffron is given more respect than white cloth. Also I was a good singer and could play the m~da&ga and I could read Sanskrit; so after the k(rtans, Ír(la Prabhupåda, who was sitting a little lower, would have me read the Sanskrit ßlokas, and then he would explain everything. He was very enthusiastic to preach and we went to many programs at the houses of important and prominent gentlemen in Calcutta. Sometimes when he had a very big program he would take Guru Mahåråj and the three of us would go. This was our preaching style. Ír(la Prabhupåda was always giving me encouragement and nourishment in the preaching field. The Lord’s promise The Lord promises in the Bhagavad-g(tå, “Whoever worships Me will come to My abode and will not come back to this world.” What is the abode of Lord K~!@a? na tad bhåsayate s)ryo, na ßaßå&ko na påvaka% yad gatvå na nivartante, tad dhåma parama^ mama {Ír(mad Bhagavad-g(tå, 15.6} “The sun and the moon cannot give light in My abode; it has its own light. Everything is new there.” If you go to K~!@a’s abode complete transcendental feelings and realization will appear in your heart and you will never come back to this mortal world. Indra’s awakening There is nothing undesirable or unwholesome in the transcendental world. The saints and the Scriptures are showing us the

The Lord is not Impersonal

way to the spiritual world but unfortunately we are not always so receptive to that. One time, Indra, the King of Heaven, was cursed by a ~!i to become a pig. When the curse was finished Brahmå, the creator, came to take Indra from his pig’s body. Brahmå said to Indra, “The time of your curse is finished. Come and take charge of the heavens. If you jump in the lake you will change your body from a pig’s body to your heavenly body.” Indra was identifying himself with a pig’s body. He was thinking his wife and children belonged to him. When he saw Brahmå he thought, “Who are you? You have four heads and a long beard. Why should I hear from you?” Brahmå could understand that Indra was very involved with his family life, especially his children, so he took all of Indra’s children and threw them in the lake. Indra became very upset. When all his children were dead he tried to catch Brahmå and kill him. He thought, “This four-headed man with a long beard has killed my children and now he is trying to kill my wife¡” Indra couldn’t catch Brahmå so Brahmå suddenly grabbed Indra’s wife and threw her in the lake. Indra was lamenting because his whole family was dead. Again Brahmå said to him, “Please, jump in the lake and you will get a beautiful heavenly body. Your wife and children have already got their heavenly bodies back although you can’t see them. If you jump in the lake you will get yours.” Finally Indra was thinking, “What value does this hog’s body have? I am alone. I have nothing.” He jumped in the lake, left his body, and got back his beautiful form as the King of Heaven. Then Brahmå stood and said, “Do you want to go back to that hog’s body? If you do I can arrange it. You were fighting with me. Now do you understand what your form is?” Indra shyly said, “I do not want to see that body again.” This is also our position. We are thinking if we leave our body

Religion of the Heart

and family it will be bad for us but our spiritual, conscious body—svar)p-siddhi—is very beautiful, and the abode of the Lord is also very beautiful. We have a relationship with the Lord, His abode and His paraphernalia and that relationship is always attracting us. Five kinds of relationships In K~!@a’s abode all residents have one of five types of relationships with Him: ßånta, dåsya, sakhya, våtsalya and madhura-rasa. Íånta-rasa means peacefulness. It is the primary relationship and its main characteristic is firmness or steadiness in the service of K~!@a. Dåsya-rasa means we will develop a loving serving mood towards K~!@a and His devotees. We will begin to hanker for service to K~!@a. As we advance further we will develop a friendship with K~!@a, sakhya, and when we advance even further, more intimacy develops, and that relationship becomes parenthood or våtsalya-rasa. Paramour: love’s highest spiritual manifestation Consorthood with K~!@a is called madhura-rasa, or a conjugal relationship. It is the highest. It has two parts: one pertains to marriage and the other to paramour love. In V~ndåvan paramour love is the highest; it is the mother of all rasas. In the mundane world we consider paramour love to be very bad. But if we understand for whom paramour love is really meant, all such bad feelings will go. “Who is my master? Who is the heart of my heart? Who is the wealth of my life and soul, my all in all?” If we really know this, all bad feelings will vanish. In this material world we have seen how paramour love is manifested, but we must also see how that love shows itself through many different transcendental manifestations. There are

The Lord is not Impersonal

many varieties of tastes within paramour love and each one displays progressively more and more ecstatic manifestations. During Mahåprabhu’s first meeting with Ír(la R)pa and Ír(la Sanåtan Goswåm(s in Råmakeli on His way to V~ndåvan, He advised them on how to harmonize their external positions as important government officials with their internal desire to render exclusive service the Lord. He advised them: para-vyasanin( når( vyagråpi g~ha-karmasu tad evåsvådayaty antar nava-sa&ga-rasåyanam {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 1.211} “Continue your external life but keep your paramour relationship with K~!@a inside your heart. It is not important whether others see it or not. Keep it in your heart in a hidden way. Just as a married girl always thinks of her paramour lover when she is busily engaged in her household affairs, you also think of K~!@a while you do your external work.” We have made many rules and regulations to live in this mundane world. We have divided one part of the land for ourselves and another part for others. We have said, “This food is for the cows and this is for me.” We have made many adjustments in this material world so bad reactions will not come to society. Whoever ignores these rules will be punished. But when the mood of paramour love is firmly followed in the spiritual world there is nothing bad. There is nothing bad in the spiritual world. Everything is good there. That is why it is said in the Scriptures, “Here is water and there is nectar,” or, “That abode has its own light and is always effulgent. It never burns and is always pleasant.” This is Mahåprabhu’s supreme conception and this is our goal of life.

Religion of the Heart

årådhyo bhagavån vrajeßa tanayas tad dhåma v~ndåvana^ ramyå kåchid upåsanå vraja-vadh)varge@a yå kalpitå ßr(mad-bhågavata^ pramå@am-amala^ premå pumartho mahån ßr( chaitanya mahåprabhor-matam-ida^ tatrådarå% na para% “K~!@a is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. We have five special types of relationships with Him. The highest is that of the Vraja-gop(s, composed of conjugal relationship, which in its highest manifestation is paramour love.”

Chapter 3

Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God in the Scriptures of India

here is the evidence of a personal conception of God in the Scriptures of India? Mahåprabhu said: Ír(mad-Bhågavata^ pramå@am-amalam, the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is the proof and evidence of this conception. Ír(mad-Bhågavatam contains the gist of all the Vedas, and its 18,000 ßlokas are spotlessly pure and unalloyed, therefore it is given more honor than any other Scripture. The third ßloka of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam says, nigama-kalpataror galita^ phalam, the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is the mature fruit of the tree of Vedic literature and Vedic knowledge. If we try to realize the meaning of this verse we will realize nigama means the Vedas. Kalpa-taror means a wish-fulfilling tree, and galita^ phalam means a delicious and fully ripe fruit, which is without the skin or seed and is extremely palatable and enjoyable like condensed ecstasy. And the knowledge given in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is made even sweeter because it comes through the mouth of Íukadev Goswåm(, the son of Vedavyåsa. Vedavyåsa was searching for a disciple who could express transcendental knowledge, so he chose Íukadev Goswåm( because Íukadev Goswåm( was qualified to receive transcendental knowledge; that is, he is always situated in the plane of such knowledge: 31

Religion of the Heart

parini!$hito ’pi nairgu@ya, uttama-ßloka-l(layå g~h(ta-chetå råjar!e, åkhyåna^ yad adh(tavån {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 2.1.9} K~!@a: the Supreme Controller and Original Source The Lord has many forms. He has manifested Himself as Dvårakeß, Mathureß and Gopeßvar. He has many different manifestations and forms. From His first expansion, which is Baladev, comes Våsudev, Sa&kar!an, Aniruddha and Pradyumna and a little lower, Nåråya@. From Nåråya@, there are various manifestations: Gu@åvatåras, L(låvatåras, Íaktyåveß Avatåras, etc. Many Avatåras come from Nåråya@ and they are all manifestations of Lord K~!@a. But it is stated in the Brahma-sa^hitå: (ßvara% parama% K~!@a% sach-chid-ånanda vigrahå. The different manifestations are (ßvara% but the Para^-(ßvara% is K~!@a. He is anådir ådir Govinda%, sarva-kåra@a-kåra@am—the original One, the Cause of all causes. No cheating religion Mahåprabhu said the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam contains the gist of the Vedic knowledge. The Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is pramå@amamalam, which means its evidence, its proof and its statements are all pure and unalloyed. There are no alloys mixed with the statements of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam. Amalam means unalloyed. Ír(mad-Bhågavatam {1.1.2} itself states: dharma% projjhita-kaitavo ’tra paramo nirmatsarå@å^ satå^ vedya^ våstavam atra vastu ßivada^ tåpa-trayonm)lanam ßr(mad-bhågavate mahå-muni-k~te ki^ vå parair (ßvara%

Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God…

sadyo h~dy avarudhyate ’tra k~tibhi% ßußr)!ubhis tat-k!a@åt Kaitavo means “cheating.” There is no cheating in the religion given in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam. Once Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Mahåråj told me I was “cheating my stomach.” When I was staying with him in Calcutta I used to study Ír(mad Bhagavad-g(tå from him in the morning. Sometimes he would ask me if I had taken breakfast, and whenever I would answer, “Yes,” he would say, “What did you have?” If I would answer, “mu#i,” {puffed rice} he would say, “Oh, you are simply cheating your stomach¡” Religion can also cheat us. My “stomach” may be “full” of some religious conception, but it is being cheated¡ It is possible religion can fully exist in our body but in a cheating way. It may be possible we are being cheated of the real substance. One must be a sådhu Sådhus have a variety of different qualities, but extremely good sådhus are paramo nirmatsarå@åm. They are not envious or jealous of anyone. Matsarå@åm means enviousness. It is a very bad quality. Many sådhus have matsarå@åm. The Bhågavatam says, “There is no possibility of matsarå@åm in the knowledge I am giving. This is a unique type of knowledge; it is free of matsarå@åm.” How will one get the knowledge of the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam? Sadyo h~dy avarudhyate ’tra k~tibhi% ßußr)!ubhis tat-k!a@åt. If one is fully surrendered and has a good service mood, he will immediately get this knowledge. If one is fully surrendered and does not mix with any bad qualities, he will get transcendental knowledge. But the first condition is one must be a sådhu. A sådhu means one who is honest and saintly. A sådhu is not one who just wears a saffron cloth. Saffron cloth is a symbol of

Religion of the Heart

Vedic identification. A deer hunter may be a sådhu if he is not envious and is surrendered to K~!@a. Another good quality of a sådhu is that his heart is always hankering for the service of K~!@a. If one has these qualities he will get the transcendental knowledge given in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam. Mahåprabhu said, Ír(madBhågavata^ pramå@am-amalam, “The knowledge which is revealed in the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is spotlessly pure and it is the ripened fruit of all the Vedas, and that fruit is love for K~!@a, or K~!@a-prema.” Real K~!@a-prema: stronger than a cobra’s poison The English word “love” cannot fully express the real meaning of prema as given in Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta but it is the only equivalent word we have heard in the English language. As conditioned souls we do not know what prema is and we do not know how to properly express it. Ír(la R)pa Goswåm(, the highest cultural representative of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu, has written many beautiful expressions about prema, but the word “love” is not sufficient to express the ideas he has written about. For example, he says: p(#åbhir nava-kåla-k)$a-ka$utågarvasya nirvåsano nisyandena mudå^ sudhå-madhurimaaha&kåra-sa&kochana% premå sundari nanda-nandana-paro jågarti yasyåntare jåyante sphu$am asya vakra-madhurås tenaiva vikråntaya% {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 2.52} “Once you get love for K~!@a you cannot live without it for a moment or you would die. The ecstatic feelings you experience

Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God…

in union with K~!@a are inconceivable. K~!@a-prema transcends all other types of ecstatic beauty and tastes. Nothing can surpass it. Whoever has a touch of K~!@a-prema cannot live without it. If he was to leave it, he could not conceive of the pain of separation. It is stronger than a cobra’s poison. The burning sensation that comes from a cobra’s poison is nothing compared to the feelings of separation from K~!@a.” Expressions of Divine Love K~!@a Dås Kaviråj Goswåm( has given many beautiful expressions regarding the sweet sound of K~!@a’s flute, His beautiful, charming and all-attractive personality, as well as the sweet association of chanting and dancing with Him. va^ß(-gånåm~ta-dhåma, låva@yåm~ta-janma-sthåna, ye nå dekhe se chå&da vadana se nayane kibå kåja, pa#uka tåra mu@#e våja, se nayana rahe ki kåra@a {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 2.29} “Of what use are eyes if one does not see the face of K~!@a, which resembles the moon and is the birthplace of all beauty and the reservoir of the nectarean songs of His flute?” k~!@era madhura vå@(, am~tera tara&gi@(, tåra praveßa nåhi ye ßrava@e kå@åka#i-chidra sama, jåniha se ßrava@a, tåra janma haila akåra@e {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 2.31} “Topics about K~!@a are like waves of nectar. If such nectar does not enter one’s ear, the ear is no better than the hole of a damaged conchshell.”

Religion of the Heart

m~ga-mada n(lotpala, milane ye parimala, yei hare tåra garva-måna hena k~!@a-a&ga-gandha, yåra nåhi se sambandha, sei nåså bhastråra samåna {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 2.33} “One’s nostrils are no better than the bellows of a blacksmith if one has not smelled the fragrance of K~!@a’s body which is like the aroma of musk combined with that of the bluish lotus flower. Indeed, such combinations are actually defeated by the aroma of K~!@a’s body.” Mahåprabhu showed these ecstatic symptoms of love of God when He was mad with K~!@a-prema. He could not live one second without K~!@a. He was always fainting. When he regained consciousness He would again madly search for K~!@a. Revelation by hearing All these things have been expressed in Bengali or Sanskrit in Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta but the language in which they appear is not the vital factor. K~!@a Dås Kaviråj Goswåm( declares that you do not need to know Bengali, Sanskrit or any language in order to understand the expressions of the Chaitanyacharitåm~ta. You only need to hear them. Their meanings will reveal themselves in your heart simply by hearing. The Vedånta is a good example of this. Who knows the meaning of the Vedånta? No one. When we initiate students we give them various mantras like the Guru Mantra, the Gåyatr( Mantra, the K~!@a Mantra, etc. The students do not know the meaning of these mantras, and it is not necessary to know the meaning. If one meditates on these mantras, their meaning will reveal themselves in one’s heart. One day K~!@a Dås Kaviråj Goswåm( was a little disturbed by others who were criticizing him for using so many Sanskrit verses, so he said:

Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God…

yebå nåhi bujhe keha, ßunite ßunite seha, ki adbhuta chaitanya-charita k~!@e upajibe pr(ti, jånibe rasera r(ti, ßunilei ba#a haya hita {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 2.87} How will those who do not know Bengali or Sanskrit understand the meanings of the verses of Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta? He advised, “Just try and hear the transcendental sound of the verses. Take them into your heart. They will reveal themselves automatically and you will see everything. They are not dead matter but a living substance. The transcendental sound vibration is also a living entity. You can feel it and you can see it.” Yebå nåhi bujhe keha, ßunite ßunite seha, “Even if one does not know the language, he will understand the subject matter simply by hearing the verses of the Chaitanya-charitåm~ta attentively.” When Rådhårå@( heard the Name of K~!@a, She said: sai kevå ßunåila ßyåma nåma kånera bhitara diyå marame paßila go åkula karila mora prå@a nå jåni kateka madhu ßyåmanåme åche go vadana charite nåhi påre japite japite nåma avaßa karila go kemane påiba sa-i tåre nåma paratåpe yåra aichana karala go a&gera paraße kivå haya yekhåne vasati tåra nayane dekhiyå go yuvati dharama kaiche raya “I don’t know who said these two syllables, ‘K~!-@a,’ but when they entered My heart, My whole body became intoxicated with that Name. I do not know whose Name it is and I do not know

Religion of the Heart

how sweet it is but I need that association.” Rådhårå@( became mad with the Name of K~!@a, and Cha@#(dås has expressed this in his poetry. Transcendental transmission Transcendental knowledge exists everywhere. It is like ether. Ether exists everywhere but we cannot see it. Transcendental knowledge, or K~!@a consciousness, exists in everyone’s heart— K~!@a is in everyone’s heart. A Mahå-Bhågavat devotee can see K~!@a’s full manifestation everywhere: yåhå yåhå netra påre tåhå K~!@a sphure—a Mahå-Bhågavat will see K~!@a wherever he looks. Gaura Kißor Dås Båbåj( Mahåråj, Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur and Ír(la Bhakti Rak!ak Ír(dhar DevGoswåm( Mahåråj were like this. The transmission of transcendental knowledge from one’s heart to another’s is possible. We can understand this if we take the example of a radio or television set. What is inside these machines? Electronic components: transistors, tubes, and other material elements. Electricity is a material element and it is also present. When everything is properly adjusted and the electrical current is made to flow, the television set will work. It will give sound, picture and everything. If such transmission is possible in this mundane world through electricity then wherever there is transcendental knowledge, that transcendental knowledge can also certainly appear. It is only necessary to make our hearts like a radio or a television receiver. Living substance Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said, “Everything exists in consciousness.” We have a transcendental body and a transcendental form. So if we have such a body why can’t transcendental knowledge reveal

Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God…

itself in our heart? It can and we can feel it. We can see transcendental knowledge. It is a living entity, a living substance. It is only necessary to adjust ourselves like a receiver, or a television set, and then transcendental knowledge will reveal itself in our hearts. Once Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur was asked if he had seen K~!@a. His reply was, “What benefit will you get by knowing whether I have seen K~!@a or not? How will that benefit you? I can show you K~!@a but you must make your heart like a receiver by doing what I tell you. It is not important to know whether I have seen K~!@a or not. If you want to know K~!@a and if you come through the proper channel you will see Him.” This was the answer given by Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur. Mahåprabhu said this is real K~!@a consciousness, or the full-fledged theism of the j(va-soul. We must try and get it. Ír(la Bhaktivinod ¢håkur has given a very nice expression: $åniyå ånite v~k!a e karkaßa mana nåßila ihåra ßobhå ßuna sådhujana tområ sakale hao e v~k!era mål( ßraddhå-våri diyå puna% kara r)paßål( {Kalyå@a Kalpataru} “I brought a wish-fulfilling tree, the kalyå@a kalpataru, down to this world from the spiritual sky. As I was bringing it down it lost some of its beauty; but if you water it, take care of it and give it good nourishment it will reveal itself in your heart.” This is the benedictine tree of divine aspiration. Sacrifice, service, dedication Mahåprabhu delivered transcendental knowledge to the conditioned souls in order to rescue them from the illusory environment and to give them their real service life, which is a life full of

Religion of the Heart

service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He said real liberation is muktir hitvånyathå-r)pa^ svar)pe@a vyavasthiti%—it is more than simply liberation from the material world. Real mukti is when we get a life of complete and full service in the service world. There are three planes of existence: the plane of exploitation, the plane of renunciation and the plane of dedication. We need to go to the plane of dedication and leave the plane of exploitation. The plane of renunciation is also not a suitable place to exist. There is nothing there except equilibrium and non-differentiation {abscissa}. The plane of dedication is necessary and it is the most important plane for us. We need to go there; we need to sacrifice ourselves there. All the Vedic mantras say we must sacrifice ourselves in the plane of dedication. In the Vedic mantra, “svåhå” means, “First dedicate yourself. See to your own self first.” K~!@a says in Bhagavad-g(tå {6.5}: åtmaiva hy åtmano bandhur, åtmaiva ripur åtmana%, “The mind is the conditioned soul’s best friend or his worst enemy.” We must see to our own self first—charity begins at home. Since we live in this illusory environment we cannot see K~!@a, His devotees, His glories, His Dhåm, His Pastimes or His Name and fame. We cannot see anything of K~!@a in this environment because our eyes are covered by illusion. First it is necessary to clean our mirror and then we can see our figure in the mirror. Mahåprabhu said: cheto darpa@a-mårjjanam. What should you do first? When you return home after a long trip there must be dust in your room, so first clean your room. When you first get K~!@a consciousness, try and clean the mirror of your mind— cheto darpa@a-mårjjanam bhava-mahådåvågni nirvåpa@am— then you will see your position. You will see what is happening in your mental and physical position. Clean up everything and

Evidence of the Conception of a Personal God…

then you will see Mahåprabhu’s conception, which is expressed in this ßloka by Ír(la Vißvanåth Chakravart( ¢håkur: årådhyo bhagavån brajeßa tanayas tad dhåma v~ndåvanam ramyå kåchid upåsanå braja-vadh)varge@a yå kalpitå ßr(mad-bhågavata^ pramå@am-amala^ premå pumartho mahån ßr( chaitanya mahåprabhur-matam-ida^ tatrådaro na% para%

Chapter 4

Preparing to Understand Krsna’s Transcendental ... Pastimes

tava vikr(#ita^ k~!@a, n~nå^ parama-ma&galam kar@a-p(y)!am åsådya, tyajanty anya-sp~hå^ janå% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 11.6.44}

~!@a’s Pastimes are unlimited and unfathomable. They are completely beyond our material and limited conception. Although we can’t understand anything of K~!@a’s Pastimes from here, they are nevertheless supremely auspicious for everyone and are our goal of life. Devotee: Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Mahåråj Prabhupåda published the Tenth Canto of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam in a summary form as the K~!@a books. There he described the Pastimes of K~!@a with the gop(s. He says if someone reads these Pastimes, or hears about them from a bona fide authority in K~!@a consciousness, all that is lusty in his heart will disappear. Could you please explain how this is possible? Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: Yes. The ßloka you are referring to is this: vikr(#ita^ vraja-vadh)bhir ida^ cha vi!@o% ßraddhånvito ’nuß~@uyåd atha var@ayed ya% bhakti^ parå^ bhagavati pratilabhya kåma^ h~d-rogam åßv apahinoty achire@a dh(ra% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.33.39} 43

Religion of the Heart

“Anyone who with faith hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the young gop(s of V~ndåvan will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart.” But there is a serious condition given in this ßloka and Ír(la Prabhupåda has explained what that condition is: that it is necessary to hear about K~!@a consciousness from a bona fide authority in K~!@a consciousness. And when one hears from a bona fide authority, that authority will not at first explain K~!@al(lå but will start by trying to turn you into a good “receiver” of those Pastimes. He will prepare you so you can properly receive and understand those Pastimes. When you become a good receiver, or when you are qualified to hear those Pastimes, that authority will explain the Pastimes of K~!@a with the gop(s. Otherwise you will not be able to understand that supramental theory. It will not come to you in a proper way. Faith: the basis of all religions When one receives transcendental knowledge from his Guru and is firm in his faith to his Guru, that person will begin to practice K~!@a consciousness. Without solid faith we cannot do anything. Faith is the basis of all religions, not only Vai!@avism. In Christianity, Islam and Buddhism, faith is the basis. It is necessary to have firm faith in great personalities like Ír(la B.R. Ír(dhar Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj, Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Prabhupåda and Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur as well as our entire Guru-paramparå. It is necessary to have faith in the words of Lord K~!@a as expressed in Ír(mad Bhågavad-g(tå. Lord K~!@a Himself said to Uddhava in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam {11.12.14-15}: tasmåt tvam uddhavots~jya, chodanå^ pratichodanåm

Preparing to understand Kåñëa’s Transcendental Pastimes

prav~tti^ cha niv~tti^ cha, ßrotavya^ ßrutam eva cha måm ekam eva ßara@am, åtmåna^ sarva-dehinåm yåhi sarvåtma-bhåvena, mayå syå hy akuto-bhaya% “Take shelter of Me and you will get the love, beauty, charm and ecstasy for which you are searching. But you must keep faith in My words or you will not get what you want.” Another important verse is: tasmåd guru^ prapadyeta, jijåsu% ßreya uttamam ßåbde pare cha ni!@åta^, brahma@y upaßamåßrayam {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 11.3.21} “The Guru must be qualified and the disciple must have faith. Then Gurudev will come forward and one can approach him with humility, honor and faith.” Faith is necessary, otherwise it is not possible. After one’s faith develops, the seed of the bhakti-latå can be planted by a sådhu in the fertile ground of a faithful heart, and with good nourishment it will grow. No imitation When one begins to practice K~!@a consciousness all his anårthas, or impurities, will leave him. Then he will be able to understand the Pastimes of Lord K~!@a. But first his Guru must consider him a qualified candidate, then that spiritual authority will describe the Pastimes of Rådhå and K~!@a—not before. If we hear those Pastimes without being qualified they will destroy our spiritual bhakti-latå-b(ja, the seed of the creeper of devotion.

Religion of the Heart

They will kill us—that is they will destroy our spiritual life of devotion and we will fall into the hellish garbage of sahajiyåism, or imitationism. There is another ßloka in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam {10.33.30} that describes how Lord Íiva can digest an ocean of poison: naitat samåcharej jåtu, manasåpi hy an(ßvara% vinaßyaty åcharan mau#hyåd, yathårudro ’bdhi-ja^ vi!am If one does not hold such a powerful position as Lord Íiva and drinks an ocean of poison, he will be destroyed. The play of the Sweet Absolute is like that, it is beyond the lustful plane of this world. Since we live in the lustful plane it is necessary to cross that plane by our practices. Then we will be able to understand the Pastimes of Rådhå and K~!@a, and transcendental consciousness will appear in us. Since these are higher level topics, before we can approach them, it is necessary to change our consciousness from material to spiritual consciousness. It is necessary to pass through all the stages and varieties of material consciousness and come to the brahma-bhuta% stage and we can do that by devotion. Then we will become qualified to hear the Pastimes of Rådhå and K~!@a and transcendental consciousness will appear within us. If anything wrong remains within us in that plane it is known as a shadow of lust. This will be quickly demolished and very soon we will get clean K~!@a-prema, or love, affection and service to K~!@a. When our enjoying mood and spirit disappears we will become qualified for the service of the Vraja-gop(s. The Ír(madBhågavatam has given us this caution but one phrase is very important in the above ßloka and that is, “the qualified spiritual master.” Devotee: How can one get a qualified spiritual master? Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: It depends on the j(va-soul’s own fortune, or his suk~ti. Not everyone is able to get a qualified

Preparing to understand Kåñëa’s Transcendental Pastimes

spiritual master, but in the age of Kali there is special help for the conditioned souls, like the many instructions Lord K~!@a gives in the Bhagavad-g(tå. There are also many incarnations and associates of the Lord who have appeared in this world. If we are able to get at least some light from them, we may search for a great personality from whom we can get the property of K~!@a consciousness. And this searching spirit will come by reading the literature of the divine devotees of the Lord. Devotee: During the battle of Kuruk!etra not only perfected souls saw K~!@a but everyone saw Him. Duryodhana and others also saw K~!@a. I am an ordinary person then why am I not able to see K~!@a? Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: We can see K~!@a but what kind of K~!@a do you want to see? You are seeing K~!@a. It may be in a photo or may be in the form of a deity. Devotee: In the human form just like everybody. How can I recognize the ‘human’ form of K~!@a? Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: Yes, we can see that if we will get that vision. Arjuna wanted to see the Vißvar)pa, Universal Form of K~!@a, but before showing that to Arjuna, K~!@a said, “You cannot see Me with these eyes so I am giving you divine eyes. Now you can see Me.” nå tu må^ ßakyase dra!$um, anenaiva sva-chak!u!å divyam dadåmi te chak!u%, paßya me yogam aißvaram {Ír(mad Bhagavad-g(tå, 11.8} In this ßloka K~!@a said to Arjuna, “I am giving you transcendental vision, now you can see Me.” If I get transcendental vision by the grace of K~!@a, then I can see K~!@a. If we wait a few years maybe through science we will be able to see many things. Through scientific research we can see many things and that is not transcendental, no doubt, but it is one kind of vision, which is recognized as ‘transcendental’ by mundane people.

Religion of the Heart

Proper source It is necessary to discover where our deficiency or disease is. After we hear about K~!@a consciousness, more and more hankering for K~!@a consciousness should develop within us. This hankering is a good sign but to get such hankering it is necessary to go to the proper source or the proper “university.” All universities are not the same. If you want to study physics, mathematics or chemistry you must go to a teacher who can teach you those subject matters. You must train under his guidance. If we want everything in a cheap way, you won’t get anything; you will only get imitation knowledge. You will get an imitation stone, not a real diamond. If I feel it is necessary to elevate myself from my present position in this mundane environment to a higher stage, I must go to that type of qualified source who can take me from this world. I must practice under his guidance. When the time for higher study comes, we must go to the proper type of expert who can give us higher knowledge. Devotee: My experience is that the lust within me is not disappearing. At times it is suppressed but again it comes back. I think it hasn’t actually disappeared. Is this correct? Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: Yes. It will completely disappear if we can keep ourselves in the plane of service; and the stage by stage process for doing that is given in the Bhakti Rasåm~ta Sindhu {1.4.15-16}: ådau ßraddhå tata% sådhu-sa&go ’tha bhajana-kriyå tato ’nartha-niv~tti% syåt tato ni!$hå ruchis tata% Lust will remain with us up to the plane of ruchi. Ruchi means “taste.” Lust will disappear from our hearts when we become firmly situated in the plane of ruchi. When a special kind of attraction or taste for service to the Lord appears, I will be pro-

Preparing to understand Kåñëa’s Transcendental Pastimes

moted to that plane of service. Then lust will leave and ruchi will develop. Lust will exist below the standard of ruchi. Sometimes it will come and sometimes it will go, and sometimes it will be suppressed. Conditions for growth Lust has a very sweet name. It is called mano-bhåva. Mano-bhåva means it takes birth in the mind; it appears in the mind. If the mind is clear, lust will automatically go to K~!@a. Lust will not come to your mind. We can understand lust grows in the mind because if the mind is absent, or if your mind is disturbed, lust will not come to you. This is the proof lust grows in the mind. When the mind is absent, lust is not present. It will grow in your mind when a particular situation arises. Once the demigods and asuras were churning the ocean. After they finished, Lord K~!@a appeared in the form of Mohin( M)rti to distract the asuras. When Lord Íiva saw her, he chased after her. Normally Lord Íiva isn’t like that, but a particular situation developed and he ran after Mohin( M)rti. This proves lust grows in the mind. Everyone can understand this if they will try. In the primary stage it is necessary to control lust; and in the final stage it will not appear because K~!@a is Reality the Beautiful. All attachment, attraction and service will automatically go to K~!@a. Love, affection and everything will go to K~!@a and lust will disappear. It will not come again. Before that it will come and go. But don’t be fearful—it will be removed; it will be removed by dharma-buddhi. Lust can be removed by dharma-buddhi, and dharma-buddhi means religious intelligence. Once K~!@a asked Mahåråj Yudhi!$hir about this subject. K~!@a is very naughty, and He asked Mahåråj Yudhi!$hir this question because Mahåråj Yudhi!$hir never told a lie. His question was very dangerous. K~!@a said, “Your mother looks like an eighteen or twenty-

Religion of the Heart

year-old girl. She is very beautiful. Have you ever been polluted in your mind by seeing her?” Yudhi!$hir said, “Yes. Sometimes I am shocked to see her, but I control everything with my religious intelligence.” This answer is found in the Mahåbhårat. Hare K~!@a: all in all Devotee: Could you please speak about Gåyatr( d(k!å or second initiation? Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: D(k!å means initiation. Harinåm d(k!å is the main initiation in our Vai!@ava religion. In the age of Kaliyuga, if you do not take second initiation—called Gåyatr( d(k!å in our society—that will not be harmful if you took the Harinåm Mahåmantra from a bona fide Guru. Generally people take initiation from a bona fide Guru in order to save themselves from the material environment. The Gåyatr( d(k!å mantra is for second initiation but the Lord Himself has given a special prescription for the age of Kali: the Lord has manifested Himself through the Guru-paramparå in the form of the Harinåm Mahåmantra. There are no rules and regulations for chanting the Harinåm Mahåmantra. This is stated in the Scriptures, but if I say this, I will be an offender to Ír(la A.C. Bhaktivedånta Swåm( Prabhupåda, but the ßloka is this {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 15.110}: åk~!$i% k~ta-chetaså^ sumanasåm uchchå$ana^ chå^hasåm åcha@#ålam am)ka-loka-sulabho vaßyaß cha mukti-ßriya% no d(k!å^ na cha sat-kriyå^ na cha puraßcharyå^ manåg (k!ate mantro ’ya^ rasanå-sp~g eva phalati ßr(-k~!@a-nåmåtmaka%

Preparing to understand Kåñëa’s Transcendental Pastimes

The gist is, “You chant the Hare K~!@a Mahåmantra and be happy.” This ßloka is very strong. Ír(la Prabhupåda gave four directives; but what will happen if someone cannot follow these four directives? Medicine and diet Prabhupåda’s instructions were, “If you want the proper results of chanting the Hare K~!@a Mahåmantra, you must follow the four directives.” If you want good results in curing a disease, you must take medicine—but you must also follow a proper diet. Then the disease will go away very easily. This is the harmony between this ßloka and Ír(la Prabhupåda’s instructions. Prabhupåda said if you engage in nonsense activities and take the Harinåm Mahåmantra it will take time before the results of chanting come to you. Prabhupåda considered everyone a sick man. A sick man must have a good diet. On some days I am taking only milk and sago {tapioca}, because my health isn’t always good. If I take too many fried foods my sugar will increase. So the diet must be appropriate. Prabhupåda knew Western society has no rules and regulations of life. They hold a big license for enjoyment, and the name of that license is “teenager.” Society has given young people a big license for sense enjoyment and that is, “Oh, he is a teenager.” That means a teenager can do anything. The parents and the society are all giving enthusiasm for this. But Prabhupåda wanted to control this. At least he thought it was necessary to give them the knowledge that they should not kill others. If a father has a lot of money and takes his teenager gambling and loses everything, that is not good. Prabhupåda said: “Do not kill others, do not gamble, and do not take drugs.” He also said don’t take other intoxication or have illicit sex. The life of this world is a sexual life. Through that, birth and death and happiness and sadness come to us. But you can use this

Religion of the Heart

process in your practicing life. Sexual life can also give you the supreme benefit. You only have to be a devotee and serve K~!@a with your wife and children. That is legal and in this way you can proceed in your practicing life and difficulties will not come to you. It is necessary to know the meaning of everything and for that a Guru is necessary. A Guru will say what is good and what is bad. Prabhupåda also said this. He had some experience of the Western world, but not full experience. In the beginning Prabhupåda wanted to make a “Guardian ruled family” in which everyone in the family would happily worship Lord K~!@a. He wanted to make a Vai!@ava village in Måyåpur, but I have seen this was not possible. Everything is within us Many different kinds of activities are going on in the Western world and this influence is entering the Indian culture and destroying it. It is destroying the Vedic culture but what can be done? Kali is the master of this age. He is the guardian now. To avoid Kali’s influence is difficult but those who are K~!@a conscious must try to proceed under the shelter of K~!@a consciousness. Then other influences will not come. An example is everyone takes food, but one who is K~!@a conscious does not take food. What do you think? Is he fasting? No. He takes mahå-prasådam. First he offers food to Lord K~!@a and then he takes the remnants of that prasådam. Then reactions won’t come to him. K~!@a says in Ír(mad Bhagavad-g(tå: yaja-ßi!$åßina% santo, muchyante sarva-kilbi!ai% bhujate te tv agha^ påpå, ye pachanty åtma-kåra@åt “Whoever cooks for himself eats sin but when one prepares food for the Lord and offers it to Him, those preparations become transcendental because the Lord Himself is transcendental.”

Preparing to understand Kåñëa’s Transcendental Pastimes

The remnants of prasådam give us spiritual strength and life. This is the K~!@a conscious person’s life. Everything is within you but you must be K~!@a conscious. Valuable property When we have a physical body, there will be physical problems. But everything is valuable if I can use it properly. Narottam Dås ¢håkur said, karmårpa@e krodha bhakta-dve!i jane, lobha sådhusa&ge Hari-kathå {Ír( Prema-bhakti-chandrikå}. We can use everything for K~!@a consciousness; we must use what is within us wisely. This is the meaning of the four directives given by Ír(la Prabhupåda. But that ßloka—åk~!$i% k~ta-chetaså^ sumanasåm uchchå$ana^ chå^hasåm—should not give us enthusiasm to break the rules or to do anything and everything as we may like. We are getting K~!@a consciousness in the cheapest way. Because of this we cannot understand what we are getting and what we are losing. If you pay a thousand dollars for one day you will think it is very valuable but if you get it very cheaply how will you understand its value? You offer one flower at the lotus feet of K~!@a or Gurudev and afterwards you throw it away. It may not be in an inauspicious place, but you throw it away. Everything can produce spiritual property—ßabda, sparßa, r)pa, rasa, gandha: experience by sound, touch, sight, taste and smell—all can give us good results if we adjust them in the proper way for our spiritual benefit.

Part Two

Krsnaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s . . . Four Super-excellent Qualities

K~!@a’s Four Super-excellent Qualities sarvådbhuta-chamatkåra-l(lå-kallola-våridhi% atulya-madhura-prema-ma@#ita-priya-ma@#ala% tri-jagan-månasåkar!i-mural(-kala-k)jita% asamånordhva-r)pa-ßr(-vismåpita-charåchara% l(lå prem@å priyådhikya^, mådhurya^ ve@u-r)payo% ity asådhåra@a^ prokta^, govindasya chatu!$ayam eva^ gu@åß chatur-bhedåß, chatu%-!a!$ir udåh~tå% {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 23.82-85} Apart from His sixty transcendental qualities, K~!@a has additionally four transcendental qualities, which are not manifest even in the personality of Nåråya@. These are the four super-excellent qualities that belong exclusively to K~!@a and not to any other form of the Lord. Nåråya@ has sixty qualities and Baladev sixty-two. K~!@a has sixty-four: {1} K~!@a is like an ocean filled with waves of Pastimes that evoke wonder within everyone. {2} In His activities of conjugal love, He is always surrounded by His dear devotees who possess unequaled love for Him. {3} He attracts the minds of all the three worlds by the melodious vibration of His flute. {4} His personal beauty and opulence are beyond compare. No one is equal to Him, and no one is greater than Him. He is so beautiful that He is called K~!@a.” Lord K~!@a is more exalted than ordinary living beings and demigods like Lord Íiva. He is even more exalted than His personal expansion Nåråya@. In all, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has sixty-four transcendental qualities in full.

Chapter 1

Krsna’s Sweet Pastimes ... sarvådbhuta-chamatkåra-l(lå-kallola-våridhi% “K~!@a is like an ocean filled with waves of Pastimes that evoke wonder within everyone in the three worlds.” Question: Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( says K~!@a has four super-excellent qualities that no other form of the Lord or incarnation has. Could you please explain what these are. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: Yes. The first quality, sarvådbhutachamatkåra-l(lå-kallola-våridhi%, is that K~!@a’s Pastimes are extremely sweet and relishable all the time. They are far superior to the Pastimes of any other form of the Lord, including Nåråya@. No other form of the Lord has such wonderful Pastimes as K~!@a. K~!@a’s Pastimes take place in V~ndåvan Dhåm with the Vraja-gop(s, the Vraja-bålakas and all the Vraja-vås(s. They take place in effulgent, ecstatic and sweetest of sweet ways. Nåråya@ doesn’t have these qualities in His Pastimes. These qualities don’t exist in the Pastimes of Nåråya@, Nåråya@-l(lå. K~!@a’s Pastimes begin from His birth. Nåråya@ doesn’t have a birth. He is called the unborn. Whoever doesn’t have a birth will not have pastimes associated with birth. He won’t have a father or mother, or any relatives, so he won’t have the pastimes associated with birth and childhood, etc. K~!@a has a father, a mother, a brother and a sister and He also has many friends, lovers and paramours. He is always playing 59

Religion of the Heart

with the cows and calves and enjoying with the opulent fruits and sweet smelling trees in the forests of V~ndåvan. He gives pleasure to the Yamunå by bathing in her with the Vraja-gop(s and He has many Pastimes in the different kujas {forest groves} of V~ndåvan. His life is a life full of sweet and wonderful Pastimes. Nåråya@, the supreme creator Vi!@u, doesn’t have such extraordinary Pastimes. When K~!@a was present on Earth all other forms of the Lord as well as the demigods and all the great sages were astonished to hear about His wonderful Pastimes. In fact all the transcendental and material worlds were astonished to see the Pastimes of K~!@a who appeared as the son of Nanda Mahåråj. Nanda Mahåråj, the foster father of K~!@a, was the king of a society of cowherd men but he didn’t own a castle; he didn’t have an opulent house or even any fixed residence. He moved from pasturing ground to pasturing ground making a thatched house or living in whatever place was available, but in his courtyard the Supreme Personality of Godhead played. Brahmå’s illusion Once, Lord Brahmå came to join that play. When he came to join that play he became confused. He couldn’t understand who K~!@a was. He thought, “Who is this boy playing here? I didn’t create Him¡ What is going on here?” Brahmå meditated and through meditation understood K~!@a was the Supreme Personality of Godhead—but he couldn’t believe it. He thought, “How could the Supreme Personality of Godhead be playing in the courtyard of Nanda Mahåråj just like an ordinary child? This is impossible¡” To see if K~!@a really was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Brahmå stole all cows, calves and cowherd boys, put them in a cave and left. The next day he returned and saw to his amazement every-

Kåñëa’s Sweet Pastimes

thing was the same. K~!@a was outside playing with everyone¡ Brahmå became puzzled and thought, “I put everyone in a cave yesterday and left, and now they are here exactly like they were yesterday. Maybe there was a hole in the cave and they escaped?” Brahmå went to the cave and saw K~!@a playing inside with everyone. He left the cave and again saw K~!@a playing outside and enjoying with all of His paraphernalia¡ Then Brahmå understood. With folded hands he approached K~!@a and said, “O my Lord, I have done wrong. You are always giving consciousness and remembrance to me, and I am always forgetting You. I have forgotten You, and again You have checked me. Please forgive me for my offenses. I confess that anyone who says they know You, K~!@a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Your unlimited Pastimes, can say so but I say I cannot understand anything about You with my mind, words or deeds.” jånanta eva jånantu, ki^ bah)ktyå na me prabho manaso vapu!o våcho, vaibhava^ tava go-chara% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.14.38} “I can’t say anything more. I can only say whoever says they know You or understand Your Pastimes can say so but I say I cannot understand even a small amount of Your unlimited Pastimes.” This is one example of the first quality Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( mentions as belonging to K~!@a and not to any other incarnation or Avatår: K~!@a’s super-excellent Pastimes in V~ndåvan Dhåm. Brahmå at the gate Another incident which shows the superiority of K~!@a’s Pastimes was when Brahmå went to Dwårakå to visit K~!@a.

Religion of the Heart

When he arrived he saw many gatekeepers. Brahmå has a lot of power but he saw his power was useless there, otherwise he could have suddenly appeared before K~!@a. Brahmå waited at the gate and asked the gatekeeper to inform K~!@a he had come. When the gatekeeper informed K~!@a, K~!@a replied, “Which Brahmå?” Brahmå heard this through his mystic power, and thought, “What sort of nonsense question is that? I am Brahmå¡ K~!@a knows I am Brahmå.” Then Brahmå—who is a gentleman—asked the gatekeeper to inform K~!@a he was the chatur-mukh( Brahmå, the Brahmå with four heads. When the gatekeeper informed K~!@a of this, K~!@a said, “Oh, that Brahmå¡ Bring him, bring him in.” After Brahmå entered, K~!@a showed him a lot of respect. He said, “You have been waiting at the gate a long time. Please don’t mind. Come and take your seat. Why have you come?” Brahmå said, “I will answer that question later but first tell me why did You ask, ‘Which Brahmå?’ Is there another Brahmå besides me?” K~!@a gave a little smile and remembered all the Brahmås. There are many Brahmås. Each universe has its own Brahmå and there are many, many universes. One by one all the Brahmås came. One with four heads, one with eight heads, one with ten heads, one with a hundred heads and one with a thousand heads—many thousands of Brahmås came to see K~!@a, and one by one they all bowed to K~!@a’s lotus feet. Miraculously, accommodation for all of them took place and the four-headed Brahmå appeared like an insect in front of them. Then suddenly they all stood and asked, “Why are we so fortunate, O Lord, that You have remembered us? What is your wish?” K~!@a said, “It isn’t anything important. I just wanted to see you. I haven’t seen you in a long time. Now you can all go back to your own abodes.” After all the Brahmås left, the four-headed Lord Brahmå said,

Kåñëa’s Sweet Pastimes

“I have my question answered. I am very fortunate Your Pastimes are going on in my brahmå@#a {universe}. I feel very fortunate indeed.” Brahmå offered many prayers to K~!@a, and K~!@a gave him His mercy, and Brahmå returned happily to his abode. These are the types of Pastimes that take place in K~!@a-l(lå. Especially in V~ndåvan Dhåm they are all full of ecstasy and miraculous for everyone—sarvådbhuta-chamatkåra-l(lå-kallolavåridhi%. In Nåråya@-l(lå there aren’t such Pastimes—with the cows, the Vraja-bålakas, the Vraja-gop(s and all the Vraja-vås(s— which take place in V~ndåvan Dhåm twenty-four hours a day and which are so wonderful for everyone. Inconceivable Pastimes Mahåprabhu said that all of K~!@a’s Pastimes are inconceivable —achintya-bhedåbheda-tattva. It is not possible to understand them from here. We live within the materially conscious world so it is not possible to understand transcendental consciousness and K~!@a’s Pastimes from here. Every evening in Pur(, Mahåprabhu would talk with Svar)p Dåmodar and Råmånanda Råya in the Gambh(rå. One evening they were discussing the poetry of Cha@#(dås. Cha@#(dås said in one poem, “Whoever can conceive a garland can be made from the peaks of mountains with a tiny thread, or an elephant can be bound with a spider’s web, can understand K~!@a’s Pastimes.” You must believe you can bind an elephant with a spider’s web before you can understand K~!@a’s Pastimes. When I first joined Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s Mission he asked me if I could do two things. He said, “Can you not follow your mind, and can you follow my instructions?” I said, “Yes,” and Guru Mahåråj was happy. Then he said, “Can you forget the songs you know?” I was born in a Vai!@ava family and my father was a famous professional singer. Because of that I had some singing capacity and had memorized all of the Vai!@ava songs.

Religion of the Heart

Ír(la Guru Mahåråj tested me as to my singing style, meter, etc. by having me sing in front of K~!@a Dås Båbåj( Mahåråj. I sang in front of Båbåj( Mahåråj and he told Guru Mahåråj that I knew many songs and was a good singer. A few days later Guru Mahåråj told me to forget those songs. He said they were sahajiyå songs and that condition would increase if I sang them. I said I would not sing those songs. He gave me a book named Íara@ågati and marked thirty-two songs. He asked me to memorize them within a week and said the songs of madhura-rasa would come later. He said, “They will reveal in your heart after ruchi. When you will get the position of ruchi, or taste, you can learn them.” R)pa Goswåm( showed this in a step-by-step sequence: ådau ßraddhå tata% sådhu-sa&go ’tha bhajana-kriyå tato ’nartha-niv~tti% syåt tato ni!$hå ruchis tata% {Bhakti Rasåm~ta Sindhu, 1.4.15} When it is necessary for the devotee to know what V~ndåvan is, what Govardhan is, what the Yamunå is and what the forests of V~ndåvan are and what the Pastimes of K~!@a-l(lå are, everything will reveal itself in the heart of a surrendered soul. This is the meaning of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s book, Ír( Ír( Prapannaj(vanåm~tam, the “Life Nectar of the Surrendered Souls.” Ír(mat( Rådhårå@(’s solace When K~!@a met Rådhårå@( and the Vraja-gop(s at Kuruk!etra, He said: mayi bhaktir hi bh)tånåm, am~tatvåya kalpate di!$yå yad ås(n mat-sneho, bhavat(nå^ mad-åpana% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.82.44}

Kåñëa’s Sweet Pastimes

“Devotional service unto Me is the only way to attain Me, My dear gop(s. The only reason for My returning to you is the love and affection you have attained for Me by good fortune.” In India it is customary to go to Kuruk!etra during a solar eclipse and bathe in a lake there. People from all over India do this. K~!@a went to Kuruk!etra from Dwårakå with His queens, and Rådhårå@( and the gop(s went from V~ndåvan to meet Him. When the gop(s met K~!@a’s queens, the queens said to them, “We have not actually had K~!@a’s presence. We think He is absentminded because we can’t tell what He is thinking. When He is asleep and dreaming sometimes He calls, ‘O Lalitå, O Vißåkhå, O Yaßodå, O Mother Rohi@(¡’ He says many things when He is dreaming. We have heard all the Vraja-gop(s’ and Vraja-bålakas’ names many times, and now you are here. Whether K~!@a lives in Mathurå or Dwårakå, He always remembers you.” K~!@a’s queens glorified the Vraja-gop(s in this way. When K~!@a first met the Vraja-gop(s in Kuruk!etra, they asked Him, “How long will we wait for You?” He said, “In a short time, in a few years, I shall go back to V~ndåvan. Don’t think I won’t go. I am bound to go. Don’t think that I live here. Actually I live with all of you in V~ndåvan. Every day you are getting My association in V~ndåvan. What you are doing with Me is positive. You think it is negative, but it is positive. What I am doing here is negative. Every day in V~ndåvan My Pastimes are going on and every day you are getting My association. You are giving Me nourishment every day and that is positive. Whatever you are doing there is positive.” When K~!@a said this to the gop(s, Mayi bhaktir hi bh)tånåm [Implying: “I shall come back to V~ndåvan to see you.” —Ed.], they believed it. That is why K~!@a Dås Kaviråj Goswåm( gave this ßloka before the above one in the Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta:

Religion of the Heart

eta tå&re kahi k~!@a, vraje yåite sat~!@a, eka ßloka pa#i’ ßunåila sei ßloka ßuni’ rådhå, khå@#ila sakala bådhå, k~!@a-pråptye prat(ti ha-ila “While speaking to Ír(mat( Rådhårå@(, K~!@a became very anxious to return to V~ndåvan. He made Her listen to a verse which banished all Her difficulties and which assured Her that She would again attain Him.” If you say something to someone in an exclusive way they will understand it. If you say to someone, “Yesterday we were taking prasådam together and you were giving me fried subji and we were talking and laughing”, if you say that in an exclusive way that person must believe it. He will think, “Yes, yes, that happened.” So after hearing the following ßloka Rådhårå@( got good nourishment: mayi bhaktir hi bh)tånåm, am~tatvåya kalpate di!$yå yad ås(n mat-sneho, bhavat(nå^ mad-åpana% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam 10.82.44} “If You, Rådhårå@(, hear what I am saying You will see this is the truth. Every day I am living with You. Every day there are My Pastimes in V~ndåvan and every day You are getting My association. Every day You are giving Me nourishment, and that is positive.” Mother Íach(’s joy Mahåprabhu sent Dåmodar to Nabadw(p and instructed him to tell Mother Íach(, “Every day I come to take the prasådam you prepare for Me.” Mahåprabhu said: “Mother Íach( thinks she is dreaming. It is not a dream. I eat from her hand every day. You

Kåñëa’s Sweet Pastimes

tell her that and remind her that yesterday I came and took prasådam from her. She cooks many nice preparations for the Deities such as ßåk, etc. and afterwards she gives them to Me and when I eat them she becomes very happy. But she thinks she is dreaming. When she sees the plate has nothing on it, she thinks she forgot to put food from the pots on the plate. She goes to the kitchen and sees there is no food in the pots and she thinks she is dreaming. The positive truth is that I ate everything. Remind My mother of that and she will believe it.” This is an example of telling someone something in an exclusive way. K~!@a always lives in V~ndåvan When K~!@a said to Rådhårå@( and the gop(s that He goes to V~ndåvan every day and plays with them, they believed it. Actually K~!@a never leaves V~ndåvan. He always lives in V~ndåvan. k~!@o ’nyo yadu-sambh)to, ya% p)r@a% so ’sty ata% para% v~ndåvana^ parityajya, sa kvachin naiva gachchhati {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Antya 1.67} V~ndåvana^ parityajya, sa kvachin naiva gachchhati. Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( said K~!@a does not leave V~ndåvan, not even for one moment. He lives there with the Vraja-bålakas, the sakh(s and the gop(s, etc. K~!@a’s Pastimes are always going on in V~ndåvan. Ecstatic revelation Every night with His two confidential associates, Svar)p Dåmodar and Råmånanda Råya, Mahåprabhu heard and tasted the ecstasy of Jayadev’s G(tå-Govinda, the Jagannåtha-vallabha-

Religion of the Heart

nå$aka, the Ír( K~!@a-kar@åm~ta and the songs of Cha@#(dås and Vidyåpati: cha@#(dåsa, vidyåpati, råyera nå$aka-g(ti, kar@åm~ta, ßr(-g(ta-govinda svar)pa-råmånanda-sane, mahåprabhu råtri-dine, gåya, ßune—parama ånanda {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 2.77} They were able to get and to take the real and direct association of Ír( K~!@a. After Jayadev, Vidyåpati and Cha@#(dås, only R)pa Goswåm( could sing those types of songs. Once you start expressing K~!@a-l(lå you cannot stop. There is so much ecstasy you cannot stop. madhura^ madhura^ vapur asya vibhor madhura^ madhura^ vadana^ madhuram madhu-gandhi m~du-smitam etad aho madhura^ madhura^ madhura^ madhuram {K~!@a-kar@åm~ta, by Ír( Bilvama&gala ¢håkur} When Ír(la Guru Mahåråj would express K~!@a-l(lå he would forget who was in front of him. As he was speaking he would forget who was there, who was hearing. Guru Mahåråj gives the meaning of the Gåyatr( Mantram One day I said to Guru Mahåråj, “You are giving the meaning of the Gåyatr( Mantram, the ®g Veda mantra, etc., and the Vedas say one isn’t supposed to give their meaning. It is a private matter, so why are you giving it?” Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said, “O Govinda Mahåråj, what are you thinking? What expressions and ideas come from the Gåyatr( Mantram? We are giving the Gåyatr( Mantram to others and they will meditate on it and feel it after reaching perfection. No

Kåñëa’s Sweet Pastimes

one is giving anything before perfection. If I don’t give it, I think no one will give it in the future. No one has given it before so I feel I should give it. It is necessary for the conditioned souls. Many devotees want to know the meaning, so I am giving it.” The meaning was published from the San Jose Ma$h in the Guardian of Devotion. Everyone in our sampradåya was amazed to see it. What Ír(la Guru Mahåråj gave is extremely worshipable: the inner meaning of the Gåyatr( Mantram, etc. He knew everything and he was the only one who knew everything. Once he told he went to feed the cows in the field and when he sat underneath a tree and was meditating on the Gåyatr( Mantram he suddenly saw the whole Vißvar)p form of the Lord. The whole effulgence of the Gåyatr( Mantram became manifest before him. That was his first experience with the Gåyatr( Mantram. After that, Guru Mahåråj had many experiences but if he would tell them, it would be difficult for others to understand. That is, if you don’t have a good instrument for receiving, how will you receive it? The wall cannot receive radio waves. Our insides are not adjusted to receive transcendental knowledge. It may exist within us but we are not adjusted to receive it. If we can fine-tune or adjust ourselves, everything will be revealed in our heart. h~daya haite bale jihvåra agrete chale ßabda-r)pe nåche anuk!a@a ka@$he more bha&ge svara, a&ga ka&pe thara thara sthira haite nå påre chara@a {Íara@ågati, by Ír( Bhaktivinod ¢håkur} When we are internally adjusted to receive transcendental knowledge the mantra will forcefully come and dance on our tongue. This is the real dance of Mahåprabhu or the real dance of the Holy Name.

Religion of the Heart

tu@#e tå@#avin( rati^ vitanute tu@#åval(-labdhaye kar@a-kro#a-ka#ambin( gha$ayate kar@årbudebhya% sp~håm cheta%-prå&ga@a-sa&gin( vijayate sarvendriyå@å^ k~ti^ no jåne janitå kiyadbhir am~tai% k~!@eti var@a-dvay( {Vidagdha-mådhava, 1.15} When Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( expressed these glories of the Holy Name, Ír(la Haridås ¢håkur said, “I have never heard this type of ßloka describing the Holy Name before. I have heard many glories of the Holy Name, but I never heard this type of ßloka.” Haridås ¢håkur said this, and he was a siddha mahåtmå {perfected soul}. “When we are chanting, the mantra is revealing itself on our tongue. At that time an eagerness for millions of tongues will come to us. If we will get those we will be satisfied. We are hankering for millions of ears when we hear of the real form of K~!@a. Cheta%-prå&ga@a-sa&gin( vijayate sarvendriyå@å^ k~tim. When the Mahåmantra dances in our mind, the mind is dancing.” Ír(la Bhaktivinod ¢håkur said that when the Holy Name is revealing on the mental plane, devastation comes to the mind through the presence of K~!@a-Nåma. That is real K~!@a-Nåma.

Chapter 2

Krsna’s Wonderful Associates ... atulya-madhura-prema-ma@#ita-priya-ma@#ala%

“In His activities of conjugal love He is always surrounded by His dear devotees who possess unequaled love for Him.”

he next quality Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( explains that belongs exclusively to K~!@a and not to any other form of the Lord is that K~!@a has wonderful associates who are always serving Him with love and affection: atulya-madhura-prema-ma@#ita-priyama@#ala%. All the Vraja-vås(s and associates of K~!@a in Ír( V~ndåvan Dhåm give pleasure to K~!@a’s heart twenty-four hours a day with their miraculous service, miraculous faith and miraculous love. Nåråya@ and other incarnations of the Lord do not have this quality. They do not have such an all-attractive character that attracts such spontaneous loving devotional affection from Their servitors. Five types of relationships In V~ndåvan Dhåm, K~!@a is always served by His devotees with five types of divine relationships: ßånta-rasa, dåsya-rasa, sakhyarasa, våtsalya-rasa and madhura-rasa. 71

Religion of the Heart

In sakhya-rasa, K~!@a’s friends always try to give pleasure to His heart as if they are in an equal position with Him. When they eat something and feel it is very good, even if it is half-eaten, they give it to K~!@a saying, “O K~!@a, this apple is very good, taste it. This ßa is so nice, please try it. This mango is wonderful, take it¡” Or, “This type of play is very nice. Let’s play.” They play with K~!@a and feel K~!@a and themselves are equal—only that K~!@a is a little more special. In Govardhan-dharå@-l(lå K~!@a lifted Govardhan Hill and held it for seven days. All the cowherd boys, cowherd men and even the cowherd girls took sticks to help Him. They thought, “K~!@a has taken the whole of Govardhan Hill in His hand. He has some special power, no doubt, but still we must help Him.” Parental service: våtsalya-rasa Everyone has heard how much K~!@a’s father and mother— Nanda Mahåråj and Yaßodåmay(—and Rohi@( serve Him. An example of this intense servitorship is shown in the ßlokas of Ír( Dåmodarå!$akam: rudanta^ muhur netra-yugma^ m~janta^ karåmbhoja-yugmena såta&ka-netram muhu% ßvåsa-kampa-trirekhå&ka-ka@$hasthita-graiva-dåmodara^ bhakti-baddham The expression in this ßloka is very nice. Mother Yaßodå is angry. She is chasing K~!@a and wants to capture Him and beat Him for being naughty. K~!@a is running and looking over His shoulder and then can’t see anymore because His eyes are full of tears. He is so afraid, rudanta^ muhur netra-yugma^ m~jantam. He is out of breath and so tired. He is suffering so much, muhu% ßvåsakampå-trirekhå&ka-ka@$ha.

Kåñëa’s Wonderful Associates

You won’t see these qualities in the Pastimes of Nåråya@-l(lå. K~!@a is Sach-chid-ånanda-vigraha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and this is vividly expressed in other ßlokas of Ír( Dåmodarå!$akam. The last verse is especially nice: namas te ’stu dåmne sphurad-d(pti-dhåmne tvad(yodaråyåtha vißvasya dhåmne namo rådhikåyai tvad(ya-priyåyai namo ’nanta-l(låya devåya tubhyam Mother Yaßodå wants to bind K~!@a with a rope. An effulgence has come from that rope and the author says, “I bow down to that rope,” namas te ’stu dåmne sphurad-d(pti-dhåmne. Who has Mother Yaßodå bound? She has bound the Creator of the Whole Creation with a rope. Mother Yaßodå has bound K~!@a’s belly with a rope¡ These are the Pastimes of våtsalya-rasa which take place in V~ndåvan Dhåm between K~!@a and His devotees. Madhura-rasa, the Pastimes of Ír(mat( Rådhårå@( In the last ßloka of Dåmodarå!$akam the author mentions madhura-rasa, the conjugal Pastimes of K~!@a. He says, Namo Rådhikåyai tvad(ya-priyåyai, namo ’nanta-l(låya Devåya tubhyam—“I do not want to say anything more; I can only say I bow to Rådhikå and the Supreme Lord. I can’t say anything about Your transcendental Pastimes which are manifest in this material world with Your divine associates. Your Pastimes are infinite. There is no end and no beginning to them.” Here the author also indicates the glories of Ír(mat( Rådhårå@(: “I can’t say anything more about Rådhårå@(’s Pastimes. They are beginningless and continue twenty-four hours a day with Her Lord, K~!@a, Her prå@a-vallabha, Her heart and soul. She is the dearest of the dearest and nearest of the nearest.”

Religion of the Heart

More examples of madhura-rasa Rådhårå@(’s service is briefly expressed in the above ßloka. Ír(la Baladev Vidyåbh)!a@ has given another very nice ßloka: govindåbhidha mandiråßr(ta pada^ hastastha ratnadivat tattvam tattva vidhuttama k!ititale yo darßayan chakratu% He says, “If one holds a jewel high in his hand he can show the beauty of that jewel by slowly turning its various facets. R)pa and Sanåtan Goswåm(s have each held the beautiful jewel who is known by the Name of Govinda, and who is always served by the Supreme Goddess of Fortune, high in their hands and shown His beautiful form to the world.” Only Rådhårå@( can do this type of service. R)pa and Sanåtan Goswåm(s can also do it; but without Rådhårå@(’s mercy no one can do it. No one can give a second example of this type of exclusive service. She is Her own example. A sparkling light of the jeweled Pastimes of Rådhå and K~!@a has come to this world through Jayadev Goswåm(, Cha@#(dås, R)pa Goswåm(, Råmånanda Råya and from various Goswåm(s. A small amount of sparkling light comes to this world and through that we understand a very little. We can’t conceive of K~!@a’s Pastimes and of K~!@a’s relations with His devotees that take place in madhura-rasa in V~ndåvan Dhåm. There are three groups of Vraja-gop(s. One is the adolescent group, another is mature and married and the third is the paramour group. We cannot conceive of these Pastimes from our present position. Jayadev Goswåm( has written many ßlokas about Rådhårå@(’s Pastimes and they are of the first group, the adolescent group, and it is best not to try and explain them.

Kåñëa’s Wonderful Associates

Loving affection: the law of V~ndåvan Another example of madhura-rasa with the Vraja-gop(s is shown in a verse composed by Prabodhånanda Saraswat(. In this verse K~!@a says, “When Rådhårå@( walks in front of Me and I feel a little breeze from Her cloth I think, ‘Oh, I am so fortunate.’” yasyå% kadåpi vasanåchala-khelanotthadhanyåtidhanya-pavanena k~tårthamån( yog(ndra-durgama-gatir madhus)dano ’pi tasyå% namo ’stu v~!abhånubhuvodiße ’pi Prabodhånanda Saraswat( composed this miraculous ßloka. The meaning is, “I bow to the direction where Rådhårå@( lives— whether it is in the East or the West—I bow to that direction. I do not bow to Her lotus feet or Her house but only to the direction where Her father’s house is.” When K~!@a feels a little breeze from Rådhårå@(’s cloth He feels this way. Every day in V~ndåvan, Rådhårå@( would distribute food to the Vraja-bålakas by the order of Mother Yaßodå. Rådhårå@( cooked one item for K~!@a because Durvåså Muni had very mercifully given Her a boon that whoever She cooked for would get a long life: durvåsåra $håi te&ho pååchena vara am~ta ha-ite påka tå&ra adhika madhura {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Antya 6.116} Mother Yaßodå knew this, so every day she requested Ja$ilå and Ku$ilå to send their sister-in-law to make a subji for K~!@a. When Rådhårå@( would distribute that, a breeze from Her cloth would come to K~!@a, and He would feel, “Oh, I am so fortunate. I am so happy.” K~!@a feels His life is blessed and fulfilled by feeling

Religion of the Heart

only a little breeze from Rådhårå@(’s cloth. He thinks this breeze inspires Him so much that He wants to feel it again and again. He is fully satisfied by feeling the breeze from Rådhårå@(’s cloth. K~!@a gets these feelings from only the breeze of Rådhårå@(’s cloth so you can imagine how much K~!@a must be satisfied by getting Her intimate association. This is madhura-rasa. These are the types of Pastimes that take place between K~!@a and Rådhårå@( and Her associates in V~ndåvan Dhåm. They take place in madhura-rasa twenty-four hours a day in Govardhan, Rådhå Ku@#a, Íyåma Ku@#a, the Månasa-ga&gå, the Yamunå and in Her house. They take place everywhere in V~ndåvan Dhåm. Nåråya@ can’t taste these Pastimes. They won’t come to His taste. If they would He would feel they are bitter. Nåråya@ lives by rules and regulations. He is a law-abiding personality. In V~ndåvan Dhåm the only law is love and affection, or K~!@aprema.

Chapter 3

Krsna’s . . . Transcendental Flute trijagan-månasåkar!i-mural(-kala-k)jita%

“He attracts the minds of all three worlds by the melodious vibration of His flute.”

he third quality mentioned by Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( as belonging exclusively to K~!@a and not to any other form of the Lord is that K~!@a is the player of the transcendental flute: trijaganmånasåkar!i-mural(-kala-k)jita%. The transcendental sound that comes from K~!@a’s flute is so sweet it attracts all the universes; and there are millions and millions of universes in the sky. Everyone becomes half-mad and crazy when they hear the sweet sound of K~!@a’s flute. The courtyard looks like the ocean, and the ocean like the courtyard. No one can conceive where this very sweet sound vibration is coming from. Brahmå and others, who are all expert about ßabda, sound, are stunned to hear the miraculous sound of K~!@a’s flute. Service attraction The transcendental sound of K~!@a’s flute attracts His dear servitors’ hearts according to their own service mood. From only one 77

Religion of the Heart

sound His various servitors get a variety of inspirations. Mother Yaßodå hears, “O Mother, I am hungry. Give Me some milk and butter, etc.” Yaßodå ß)nye nan( dei må bale, haila go!$hera belå ßunaye råkhåle. The cowherd boys hear, “K~!@a wants to play with us. He wants our association.” Rådhårå@( hears something else and others hear something different. Everyone hears the same sound of K~!@a’s flute according to their own service mood and everyone is simply astonished and amazed to hear the miraculous sound of K~!@a’s flute. The original song is the sound of K~!@a’s flute Once a lady from Russia asked me if it was alright to play music for K~!@a. She was very creative but she said she never used the Name of K~!@a in her music. She wanted to know if it is possible to make advancement in K~!@a consciousness by playing music for K~!@a even though she never mentioned K~!@a’s Name. I told her in order to get the highest benefit of life it is necessary to make contact with the original sound vibration and that sound is the sound of K~!@a’s flute. I quoted the following ßloka of Dhruva Mahåråj: sthånåbhilå!( tapasi sthito ’ha^ två^ pråptavån deva-mun(ndra-guhyam kåcha^ vichinvann api divya-ratna^ svåmin k~tårtho ’smi vara^ na yåche {Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, 7.28 Quoted in Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 22.42} When Vi!@u asked Dhruva Mahåråj to accept a boon from Him Dhruva Mahåråj said, “Why should I accept a boon from You? You are like a jewel standing before me and I have come searching for a broken piece of glass. When I see You standing before

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

me, You appear like a jewel. Why should I accept a broken piece of glass?” This is the real song and this is the sound of K~!@a’s flute. All vibrations in this material world come from K~!@a’s flute and that vibration travels everywhere. It is not only in this world but it is in the transcendental world as well. All songs in this world are illuminated and activated by the sweet sound of K~!@a’s flute. Illumination and activation Through the effulgence of light we can see everything but we can’t see the effulgence’s source, the original light. When we are connected with the original light we automatically see the effulgence. It is not necessary to try and see only the effulgence separately from the original light. This idea is stated in another way in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam {10.20.19}: na raråjo#upaß channa%, sva-jyotsnå-råjitair ghanai% aha^-matyå bhåsitayå, sva-bhåså puru!o yathå “When a cloud covers the moon we cannot see the moon but we see the cloud because of the effulgence of the moon.” The original sound is the sound of K~!@a’s flute in the transcendental world and because of this all songs in this world are illuminated and activated. Everything in this world is activated by the sound of K~!@a’s flute. When we get a connection with the original sound, the sound of K~!@a’s flute, everything in this world becomes sach-chidånanda-maya, perfect. Sometimes we try to get pleasure here through songs, and we may get ecstatic feelings, but they are nothing compared to the feelings that come from the transcendental song of K~!@a’s flute. Once we get that connection any song we sing must be for the glorification of K~!@a, because the original song of everything comes from K~!@a’s flute.

Religion of the Heart

Tånsen’s Guru Once there was a famous singer in India named Tånsen. When he sang, a cloud would form in the sky, fire would manifest and rain would fall. He was the king’s musician and a great singer. His Guru was Haridås. King Akbar asked Tånsen where he had learned to sing so nicely. Tånsen said he had not really learned anything but had only learned a small percentage from his Guru, Haridås. He said, “If you hear my Guru sing, you will never forget it.” Akbar asked Tånsen if he could bring his Guru to him but Tånsen said his Guru would never come to a king’s assembly because he did not live within the jurisdiction of a king. He lived within the Lord’s jurisdiction. Akbar was very intelligent and said, “I want to see your Guru at least one time. Can you take me to him?” Tånsen said, “You can see my Guru but you can’t hear his song. His song is a transcendental song and you are not qualified to hear that song. His mercy has given me some power and through that everything is revealed to me.” Still, Akbar wanted to hear Haridås sing. Haridås sang early in the morning. He glorified K~!@a and lived in a thatched hut, so Akbar dressed in ordinary clothes and went to hear him sing. After Akbar heard Haridås sing he was stunned. He fell at Haridås’ feet. Later Haridås’ Guru, Íivaj(, gave his entire kingdom to Haridås. Haridås said he had taken his kingdom because he was Íivaj(’s disciple and Íivaj( wanted him to take it. Haridås asked Akbar to try and protect everything nicely. This is a long story but the meaning is that through the light of the transcendental sound vibration everything in this world is activated. All songs in this world are activated by the sound of K~!@a’s flute. All sounds are transmitted through ether, and ether is mundane. If we can connect our songs with the transcenden-

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

tal song, which means the transcendental sound vibration of K~!@a’s flute, our songs will become transcendental. Sound: shadow and reality It is said in the Vedic Scriptures that sound is ßabda-brahma—it is a spiritual vibration. It exists on the borderline of Goloka. When sound in this world gets a connection with the spiritual world, it must go to K~!@a. Here all sounds come through the flute of K~!@a but they are shadow sounds. When the shadow takes form, it becomes reality. It has pure form. Since the mere shadow can give us so much pleasure, how much pleasure can the real song give us? Because of this we need to search for that reality. It is also said in the Vedas that sound is the origin of the Vedas and that the Vedas are a transcendental sound vibration, not a mundane vibration. They are called sat-gu@a or veda-gu@a. Everything in this world comes through transcendental vibrations and everything here is activated by those vibrations which come from K~!@a’s flute. K~!@a’s flute is the original song and the life of the whole creation. Song is good no doubt and if it is good here it must be even better there. We can say K~!@a’s flute song is the super-most excellent song. Stunned by sound Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( has composed many ßlokas glorifying the sound of K~!@a’s flute. rundhann ambu-bh~taß chamatk~ti-para^ kurvvan muhus tumburu^ dhyånåd antarayan sanandana-mukhån vismåpayan vedhasam

Religion of the Heart

autsukyåvalibhir bali^ cha$ulayan bhog(ndram ågh)r@ayan bhindann a@#a-ka$åha-bhittim abhito babhråma va^ß(-dhvani% {Vidagdha-mådhava 1.27} “The sound of K~!@a’s flute travels throughout the entire transcendental and material worlds. It encompasses everything with joy, ecstasy, beauty and charm. Everything takes form from that wonderful sound. When Lord Brahmå hears the sound of K~!@a’s flute, he wonders where it comes from. Everyone is astonished to hear the sound of K~!@a’s flute. Anantadev, who holds the Earth on his head, turns his head after hearing the sound of K~!@a’s flute.” Gåyatr(, the flute-song When Lord Brahmå took birth from the lotus flower born from the navel of Lord Vi!@u he saw everything was dark. He tried to remember who he was and where he had come from but he couldn’t understand anything. Then he heard one sound and that was “tapa.” He was awakened by that sound and began to search where it had come from and which sound he should meditate on. Then he heard the sound of K~!@a’s flute and that was the sound of the Gåyatr( Mantram. Guru Mahåråj said, Gåyatr( mural(!$a-k(rttana-dhana^ Rådhåpada^ dh(mahi. The Gåyatr( Mantram is the original song of K~!@a’s flute. We should try and connect with that song. Songs are good here but if we are addicted to mundane songs we will be cheated. When we know that songs are very beautiful, tasteful and charming here we should try and connect with the original song. The flute sings the glories of Ír( Rådhå The extreme explanation of K~!@a’s flute is given by O^ Vi!@upåda Ír(la Bhakti Rak!ak Ír(dhar Dev-Goswåm( Mahåråj.

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

He said, “Everything comes from the flute of K~!@a. All mantras including the whole Gåyatr( Mantram come from K~!@a’s flute. Gåyatr( mural(!$a-k(rttana-dhana^ Rådhåpada^ dh(mahi. What is the heart of the sound of K~!@a’s flute? The heart of that sound is Rådhårå@( because without Rådhårå@( K~!@a cannot think of anything. råya kahe—k~!@a haya ‘dh(ra-lalita’ nirantara kåma-kr(#å—yå&håra charita {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 8.187} K~!@a is always playing with Rådhårå@(, so without Rådhårå@(, He cannot think of anything. Therefore Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said, “If you want to meditate on the Gåyatr( Mantra, take shelter of the lotus feet of Rådhårå@(. You need to meditate on the Gåyatr( Mantra to fulfill your spiritual desires. You will be supremely benefited if you try to understand the meaning of the Gåyatr( Mantra.” Gåyatr( mural(!$a-k(rttana-dhanam. Mural( means “flute,” and i!$a means “what one wants to express,” and that is the glories of Rådhårå@(, the beauty of Rådhårå@( and everything concerning Rådhårå@(. Everything about Rådhårå@( has come from the flute-song of K~!@a. The Gåyatr( Mantra has simultaneously come from the sound of K~!@a’s flute. The whole Gåyatr( Mantra has given us this inspiration. Prachodayåt means: what you meditate on must go to the lotus feet of Rådhårå@(. Go there. Go where you will get gold and diamonds. Go to the gold mine for gold. Go to the diamond mine for diamonds. Don’t go to the coal mine to search for gold. If you want gold, go to the gold mine. You won’t get it in the market. It is in a special and protected area guarded by Ír(la J(va Goswåm( and others. Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said:

Religion of the Heart

ßr(-gaurånumata^ svar)pa-vidita^ r)pågrajenåd~ta^ r)pådyai% pariveßita^ raghu-ga@air åsvådita^ sevitam j(vådyair abhirak!ita^ ßuka-ßiva-brahmådi-sammånita^ ßr(-rådhå-pada-sevanåm~tam aho tad dåtum ißo bhavån {Ír(mad Bhaktivinod-viraha Daßakam— Prayers in Separation of Ír(la Bhaktivinod ¢håkur} If you want the property of service to Lord K~!@a, service to your lover K~!@a, surrender to Rådhårå@( and go there. How to approach Ír(mat( Rådhårå@( When K~!@a would enter the forest of V~ndåvan playing His flute He would beautify it with the marks of His footprints. He had a peacock feather ornament on His head, blue kar@ikåra flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold and a garland made of V~ndåvan wild flowers. As He would play His flute birds would rise to the top of the trees, stop their singing and simply listen to Him playing His flute. pråyo batåmba vihagå munayo vane ’smin k~!@ek!ita^ tad-udita^ kala-ve@u-g(tam åruhya ye druma-bhujån ruchira-pravålån ß~@vanti m(lita-d~ßo vigatånya-våcha% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.21.14} When I first came to the Ma$h I would sometimes do exercises as I had a lot of energy. Guru Mahåråj told me it wasn’t necessary to do exercises. He said if I took a shovel and worked in the garden I would get plenty of exercise. I planted many fruit trees—mango, guava, papaya, jackfruit, fig, chico and many banana trees. Then so many birds came and they are still there. There are so many different varieties and they

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

are always singing beautiful songs. I can see them all day long from my veranda. They play happily all day and live in the peaceful environment of the Ma$h. They never quarrel and even sometimes they are completely silent. I think this is all the mercy of Guru Mahåråj. As K~!@a would wander, the gop(s would lament that the bamboo flute was enjoying the nectar of K~!@a’s lips, which was meant for them, gopya% kim åcharad aya^ kußala^ sma ve@ur, Dåmodarådhara-sudhåm api gopikånåm {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.21.9} and the peacocks would dance madly when they heard the sound of K~!@a’s flute. v~ndåvana^ sakhi bhuvo vitanoti k(~ti^ yad devak(-suta-padåmbuja-labdha-lak!mi {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.21.10} The deer would come and worship K~!@a when they would hear the sweet sound of His flute. dhanyå% sma m)#ha-gatayo ’pi hari@ya etå yå nanda-nandanam upåtta-vichitra-veßam {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.21.11} And the cows and calves would drink the nectar flowing out of K~!@a’s flute. gåvaß cha k~!@a-mukha-nirgata-ve@u-g(ta, p(y)!am uttabhita-kar@a-pu$ai% pibantya% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.21.13} nadyas tadå tad upadhårya mukunda-g(tam åvarta-lak!ita-manobhava-bhagna-vegå% åli&gana-sthagitam )rmi-bhujair murårer g~h@anti påda-yugala^ kamalopahårå% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.21.15}

Religion of the Heart

When the rivers of V~ndåvan would hear K~!@a’s flute their minds would become agitated and the flow of their currents would break. Their water would rush in whirlpools, and with outstretched arms they would try to embrace K~!@a’s lotus feet with offerings of lotus flowers. Gåyatr( Mantram, the original song of K~!@a’s flute This morning when I went down to attend årati I saw our Ma$h’s logo written on the Temple. I noticed how nicely it was decorating the Temple. In the center is a lotus flower {the disciple} which is sheltered in the water of Ír( Gurudev from the shining sun of O^, or K~!@a. Below is the flute of K~!@a with its divine sound, the song of liberation, descending into this world. Around the outside there is one line from Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s explanation of the Gåyatr( Mantra: Gåyatr( mural(!$a k(rttanadhana^ Rådhåpada^-dh(mahi. Singing, dancing, liberation Gåyatr( means gånåt tråyate iti Gåyatr(, which means a type of song which if you sing you will get liberation. This is such a nice process. Simply by singing and dancing you will get liberation¡ This is the Gåyatr( Mantra and this is the original sound, the sound of K~!@a’s flute: gånåt tråyate. Nowhere else in the material world has anyone ever given such a nice explanation of the transcendental sound vibration coming from K~!@a’s flute. No religion can make this statement: simply chant and dance and you will get liberation¡ Gåyatr(: Rådhå-dåsyam What is the form of the Gåyatr( Mantra? Guru Mahåråj said, mural(!$a k(rttana-dhanam. Mural( means the flute of K~!@a.

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

K~!@a’s flute is for singing. It is not for blasting or for making violence. It is for making the heart peaceful—and a very sweet sound has come from K~!@a’s flute. What does K~!@a’s flute sing? If you sing you must have a purpose, a target, a meter or a regulated flow and that target is the Name of Rådhårå@(. No other sound comes from K~!@a’s flute, only “Rådhe, Rådhe, Rådhe, Rådhe, Rådhe;” and that sound comes in a variety of different ways. We can conceive something about the character of K~!@a’s flute from Raghunåth Dås Goswåm(’s character. Every day in V~ndåvan he sang: rådhe v~ndåvana-vilåsin( rådhe rådhe rådhe kanu-mano mohin( rådhe rådhe rådhe a!$a-sakh(ra ßiroma@i rådhe rådhe V~ndåvana-vilåsin( Rådhe Rådhe, Rådhe kanu-mano mohin(, Rådhe Rådhe. The last words are Rådhe, Rådhe. Every day in the Rådhå-Dåmodar Temple in V~ndåvan they sing this song. Every day while walking on the road or sitting at his bhajan place Ír(la Gaura Kißor Dås Båbåj( Mahåråj would sing this song. This sound is the only sound that comes from K~!@a’s flute and it has manifested itself and spread itself all over the transcendental and material worlds. We get this information from the Råsa-l(lå of the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam. The original call of K~!@a’s flute is a call for everyone When K~!@a wants to begin the Råsa Dance He first calls the gop(s by playing His flute. Only one call comes from K~!@a’s flute and that is a clarion call. Once a Vai!@ava used the term “Clarion Call.” What does this term mean? Devotee: It was a term used in the Middle Ages to wake the

Religion of the Heart

troops up for battle. It isn’t used much anymore. It also means a loud and clear call. Any call that is loud and clear is a clarion call. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: Very good¡ What is its origin? Devotee: It comes from the Christian tradition. Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj: That is very nice but it is not their father’s property. It is the property of all the j(va-souls. It is not the property of Hindus or Christians, or anyone. It is the property of all the j(va-souls. The original clarion call of K~!@a’s flute is a call for everyone. How can we understand this? We understand this through Ír(la Bhaktivinod ¢håkur. Bhaktivinod ¢håkur wrote in one song, j(v jågo, j(v jågo, Gaurachånda bole. Is this the clarion call or not? Kota nidrå jåo måyå-pißåch(ra kole. We are asleep and the clarion call comes and says, “Wake up, wake up you sleeping soul¡ You are sleeping in the lap of illusion.” The Upani!ads also say, utti!$hata jågrata pråpya varån nibodhata, “Wake up, arise and search for Ír( K~!@a, Reality the Beautiful, where you will get love for K~!@a¡” The Upani!ads, Bhaktivinod ¢håkur and K~!@a’s flute, all— the gist of that sound is mural(!$a k(rttana-dhanam. K~!@a is attracted only by His Divine Potency. She is Rådhårå@(. She is serving K~!@a wholeheartedly and very extensively with Her associates, therefore K~!@a is always thinking of Her. But the sound of K~!@a’s flute is not only meant for madhurarasa, where the chief is Rådhårå@(, but for all the other rasas as well. All other rasas are maintained by madhura-rasa, and maintaining means preserving, so the sound of K~!@a’s flute is preserving and maintaining all the other rasas. K(rttana-dhanam—the real wealth of our life Generally we refer to the Hare K~!@a Mahåmantra, or any devotional song, as either k(rttan or sa&k(rttan. We use these terms interchangeably but there is a little difference between them.

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

K(rttan means when one person is glorifying the Lord, and sa&k(rttan means, bahubhir militvå yat k(rttana^, tad eva sa&k(rttanam. Tad eva sa&k(rttanam means: when a group of devotees gather together for k(rttan, what comes from their melted hearts, that is sa&k(rttan. Sa&k(rttan is congregational chanting with the mood of tolerance, humility and giving honor to others. But here our Ír(la Guru Mahåråj has specifically mentioned k(rttana-dhanam. It is a very particular word. K(rttan is not only meant for everyone, but k(rttana-dhanam means it is the “wealth of our life.” Through k(rttan we will get everything. Through k(rttan we will get full and complete entrance into the Råsa-l(lå where K~!@a is playing and chanting and dancing with the Vrajagop(s. This is the real wealth of our life and this is the wealth for all the liberated j(va-souls as well. This is why Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said not only k(rttan, but “k(rttana-dhanam,” when he gave his explanation of the Gåyatr( Mantra. K(rttan is the wealth of our life. K~!@a’s flute has its own freedom Then Guru Mahåråj said, Gåyatr( mural(. K~!@a’s flute is not only a bamboo stick. It is not just made of metal but it has its own life. It is chetan—it has a conscious form. It is a conscious living being. K~!@a’s flute has its own desire and its own freedom for the service to Him. Everyone has freedom. K~!@a has given freedom to everyone, so K~!@a’s mural( has i!$a k(rttana-dhanam. I!$a k(rttan means a desirable k(rttan. His flute has freedom to perform its own k(rttan and this is how K~!@a’s flute will be happy. sakhi murali vißåla-chchhidra-jålena p)r@å laghur atika$hinå tva^ granthilå n(rasåsi tad api bhajasi ßaßvach chumbanånanda-såndra^ hari-kara-parirambha^ kena pu@yodayena {Vidagdha-mådhava, 4.7}

Religion of the Heart

This ßloka of Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( praises K~!@a’s mural( because K~!@a’s mural( has its own life. It is performing its own i!$a k(rttan. I!$a k(rttan means a desirable and palatable song and I can see this everywhere. I can see this in everyone’s eyes. Ír( Garga-sa^hitå fully describes the glories of Rådhårå@(. Whenever I open the Garga-sa^hitå I immediately see this, and I am sure this must be the mercy of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj. When I stand in the årati ceremony and see Gåyatr( mural(!$a k(rttana dhanam written in our Ma$h logo, my brain is working. The word dh(mahi in Gåyatr( is very famous in Sanskrit literature. Two words are present most in Gåyatr( Mantrams: dh(mahi and prachodayåt. The last word of the meditation is prachodayåt. It’s not that we will only meditate, but the Mantram will pressure us to serve Ír(mat( Rådhårå@(. We need to know the spiritual regulations and injunctions, chodanåm—pratichodanåm. That scriptural advice is found in the Vedas, Upani!ads, Bhagavad-g(tå, Mahåbhårat, etc. Íruti and sm~ti: Bhagavad-g(tå is sm~ti, and ßruti is Vedånta, Upani!ads, etc. But here chodanåm means prera@a, inspiration. What kind of inspiration? Forceful inspiration—inspiring forcefully. The Mantram’s nature is like that: to capture the j(vasoul’s mind through inspiration and forcefully engage one in the service of Rådhårå@(. This is the extraordinary meaning Ír(la Guru Mahåråj has given of the Gåyatr( Mantra: Gåyatr( mural(!$a-k(rttana dhana^ Rådhåpada^ dh(mahi. Ír(mat( Rådhårå@(’s hidden glories The glories of Rådhårå@( are fully expressed and exposed in the Garga-sa^hitå. I have seen this in Ír( Garga-sa^hitå at least a thousand times. Ír( Garga-sa^hitå was written by the great sage Garga ®!i who is the Guru of the Yadu-kula {Yadu dynasty, K~!@a’s dynasty}, and a friend of Paraßuråma as well as of many other big expo-

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

nents of Vedic mantras such as Atri, Chyavana, Íaradvån, Ari!$anemi, Bh~gu, Vasi!$ha, Paråßara, Vißvåmitra, A&girå, Dvaipåyan Vyåsa and Bhagavån Nårada. All these old ~!is were present when the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam was spoken to Par(k!it Mahåråj. Vedavyåsa himself said this. atrir vasi!$haß chyavana% ßaradvån ari!$anemir bh~gur a&giråß cha paråßaro gådhi-suto ’tha råma utathya indrapramadedhmavåhau medhåtithir devala år!$i!e@o bhåradvåjo gautama% pippalåda% maitreya aurva% kava!a% kumbhayonir dvaipåyano bhagavån nåradaß cha {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 1.19.9-10} Even though all these senior ~!is were present at the meeting of Mahåråj Par(k!it when the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam was spoken, Íukadev Goswåm( did not fully expose Goloka V~ndåvan and the glories of Rådhårå@(. They were all friends of Garga ®!i but Vedavyåsa didn’t expose very much of Rådhårå@(’s glories. He only exposed a small amount of Her glories. He didn’t give Her glories the way Mahåprabhu did. Ír( Garga-sa^hitå I was very surprised when I opened the Garga-sa^hitå and found the word “Rådhåpati”. I have never seen this word anywhere except in the Garga-sa^hitå. We have heard many stories of K~!@a-l(lå from our childhood and now I see they have all originated from the Garga-sa^hitå. Some other Purå@as have presented some stories but most of the stories of K~!@a-l(lå originated from the Garga-sa^hitå.

Religion of the Heart

Actually I was inspired by Ír(påd Madhus)dan Mahåråj, who is a Godbrother and sannyås( disciple of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj, to publish the Garga-sa^hitå. He had been searching for a Bengali edition of this book throughout all of India but failed to find one. He was very excited when he noticed there was one available in my cupboard. I was taken by surprise that he knew it was in my cupboard as I myself had not noticed it. It was then I first read a little bit of the contents and found Garga ®!i had fully mentioned everything that would be impossible for us to relate. When we try to conceive what Vyåsadev looks like we picture him as someone with at least a four or five foot long beard, but when I opened the Garga-sa^hitå I was surprised to see Garga ®!i’s expression of Vedavyåsa’s pra@åm mantra as “vadara-vanabihåra% satyavatyå% kumåra%.” This expression satyavatyå% kumåra% or vadara-vana-bihåra% will not come to our mind but his pra@åm mantra came as a realization to me that I am only recognizing Vedavyåsa’s form in his old age and not remembering his childhood as Satyavatyå% Kumår, the son of Satyavat(. R)pa Goswåm( Prabhu followed this process very nicely. In every pra@åm mantra of Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu he refers to Him as Íach(nandan, the son of Íach(dev(. Íach(nandan. In the Pastimes of Mahåprabhu, Íach(dev( is always mentioned first within the pra@åm mantra and we are habituated with this but we have not considered the same process with Vedavyåsa as Satyavatyå% Kumår or vadara-vana-bihåra%. When I read this I was very impressed. I read a few pages and thought, if Madhus)dan Mahåråj cannot print it I shall try to print it with the help of our devotees. Finally I feel Garga ®!i chose me to publish the Garga-sa^hitå as I asked Ír(påd Sågar Mahåråj to do it and he was able to do it. The full-fledged theism that was given to us by our Guru Mahåråj is fully mentioned in the Garga-sa^hitå. V~ndåvan-l(lå’s virtual place and position has originated from the Garga-sa^hitå.

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

Vedavyåsa has mentioned everything in the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, but very cautiously. Íukadev Goswåm( was just a sixteen-year-old boy so how much could he express in front of the older ~!is? Even though they were all highly qualified in madhura-rasa they could not taste what Íukadev Goswåm( had given. Vedavyåsa himself commented about Íukadev Goswåm( that after hearing the Pastimes of K~!@al(lå he became mad with ecstasy and then went back to his father to hear the rest of K~!@a-l(lå he had not presented in full. What is given in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is the gist of K~!@a-l(lå and it is sufficient. No other Scripture can cross over the prestige of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam. Vedavyåsa himself as well as other ~!is have mentioned in other Purå@as that it is a full manifestation of Ír( K~!@a. We can see the glorification of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam in this way, so we cannot deny the highest prestige of the Ír(madBhågavatam. Íukadev Goswåm( has given the gist of what he hesitated to reveal in full in that assembly and in that way has fulfilled the desire of Lord K~!@a and Rådhårå@(. Mahåprabhu came to give the glories of Rådhårå@( Mahåprabhu came to give the glories of Rådhårå@(. He came to give honor to what was not given in this material world before. anarpita-char(^ chiråt karu@ayåvat(r@a% kalau samarpayitum unnatojjvala-raså^ sva-bhakti-ßriyam hari% pura$a-sundara-dyuti-kadamba-sand(pita% sadå h~daya-kandare sphuratu va% ßach(-nandana% {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Adi 1.4} And not only did Mahåprabhu give what was not given before, He gave what was not given in any material universe as well, and there are millions of material universes in the sky. Nowhere were

Religion of the Heart

the glories of Rådhårå@( given before Mahåprabhu came, and this is mentioned in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam. But Vißvanåth Chakravart( ¢håkur said clearly, if you will search for evidential records of this you will be considered foolish because the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam is the junior-most Scripture but with the senior-most thought. Ír(mad-Bhågavatam—highest reality After all the Scriptures were written Vyåsadev was not happy. His Guru, Nårada Muni, came to see him and gave him instructions. He gave him a mantra and instructed Vedavyåsa to meditate on that mantra, and after meditating he saw the complete spiritual and material worlds. Then he composed the Ír(madBhågavatam. Therefore it is the junior-most Scripture. Yet, no other Scripture had given such complete knowledge of the spiritual and material worlds before. In his mature meditation Vedavyåsa saw all the senior-most beautiful theories of the highest reality and presented them in a well-organized way and gave them to the j(va-chaitanya. This is Guru Mahåråj’s expression, j(va-chaitanya. The conscious j(vasouls may be in the material atmosphere, but still this world is a conscious world because everything exists in consciousness. Secret of the Bhågavat Sometimes a little suspicion may come to the mind of a pure devotee as to why Rådhårå@(’s Name is not mentioned in the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam. Ír(la Guru Mahåråj has given us this theory in one of his original ßlokas: yadam(ya-mahimå-ßr( bhågavatyå^ kathåyå^ pratipada^ anubh)ta^ apyalabdhåbhidheya tadakhila-rasa-m)rte% syåma-l(lå valamva^ madhura-rasadh(-rådhå-pådapadma^ prapadye

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

In every letter and every ßloka of the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam the Name of Rådhårå@( is glorified, but we cannot see Her particular form there. The play of the Sweet Absolute takes place in the Ír(mad-Bhågavatam so it is not possible that Rådhårå@(’s Name is not mentioned there. Everywhere in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam Rådhårå@( is glorified, but we can’t see Her full form there because Íukadev Goswåm( is hiding Her a little bit. It is like the marriage system in India. When an Indian girl is married she always covers her head with a cloth. When a senior honorable person comes, she pulls the cloth over her head a little more. This is also the style of Ír(mad-Bhågavatam: to conceal Rådhårå@( yet reveal Her. Such idea is included in that ßloka of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj. Without Rådhårå@(’s association K~!@a is nothing¡ The Sweet Absolute’s play in Goloka V~ndåvan depends on Rådhårå@(. Only She can fully exchange rasa with K~!@a. K~!@a is the emporium of all rasas, akhila-rasåm~ta m)rti. But where is that nectar stored? It is stored in the pot of Rådhårå@(. So K~!@a keeps all His wealth in the pot of Rådhårå@( and He tastes Her mood of devotion. Otherwise everything will be spoiled. Ír(la Guru Mahåråj has given this extraordinary explanation of the Gåyatr( Mantra, which is the sound of K~!@a’s flute. No one in this material conscious world has ever given an explanation like this before. In the last part of Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s life, Guru Mahåråj was always discovering many things. Actually everything was within him but he had not found the proper person to explain everything to. Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s original Gåyatr( Mantram explanation Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s original Gåyatr( Mantra explanation is written in eleven lines published in our Ír( Gau#(ya G(tåjali, the Bengali song-book.

Religion of the Heart

bhvådes tat savitur vare@yavihita^ k!etraja-sevyårthaka^ bhargo vai v~sabhånu-jåtmavibhavaikårådhanå-ßr(puram {bhargo jyotir achintya-l(lãna sudhaikarådhåna-ßr(puram} {bhargo dhåma-tara&ga-khelanasudhaikårådhanå ßr(puram} {bhargo dhåma-sadå nirasta-kuhaka^ prajåna-l(lå-puram} {devasyåm~ta-r)pa-l(lå-rasadherårådhådh(% preri@a%} {devasyåm~ta-r)pa-l(lå-puru!asyårådhadh(% pre!i@a%} devasya dyuti-sundaraika-puru!asyårådhadh(% pre!i@a% gåyatr( mural(!$a k(rttana-dhana^ rådhå-pada^ dh(mahi {gåyatr(-gadita^ mahåprabhu-mata^ rådhå-pada^ dh(mahi} {dh(rårådhånam-eva nånyad iti tad rådhå-pada^ dh(mahi} I took four lines from this explanation {the ones not in brackets} to make the Gåyatr( Mantra ßloka. I put this ßloka on Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s Samådhi Mandir. I asked Ír(la Guru Mahåråj permission to take these four lines and he gave his permission. But it was especially my desire that I shall take this one line: Dh(rårådhånam-eva nånyad iti tad Rådhå-pada^ dh(mahi. Dh( comes from the root word buddhi which means intelligence. Where should buddhi go? Our intelligence should go for the service of the Lord. Without one’s intelligence going for the service of the Lord, no other conception can exist. This is Guru Mahåråj’s explanation.

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

There are two kinds of intelligence. One is parå and another is aparå. Parå intelligence is always serving the Lord. Then, dh(rå rådhånam-eva nånyad iti, without one’s intelligence going to serve the Lord, no other conception can exist. This is Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s explanation. But sometimes for my explanation I have taken the next to the last line, Gåyatr(-gadita^ Mahåprabhu-matam, because this line is hiding Rådhårå@(, Rådhå-pada^ dh(mahi, a little bit. The ®g Veda mantra Ír(la Guru Mahåråj also gave an explanation of the ®g Veda mantra. The original ®g Veda mantra is: o^ tad vi!@o% parama^ pada^ sadå paßyanti s)raya% divivå chak!ur åtatam vi!@or yat parama^ padam But Ír(la Guru Mahåråj expanded the ®g mantra: o^ tat vi!@o% parama^ pada^ srutimata^ muhyanti yat s)raya% dra!$å chak!ur iva prasårita-mahås)ryeva divyå tatam dhåmnå svena sadå nirasta-kuhaka^ satya^ para^ ßabdita^ jyoti% pr(ti-tanu^ hira@ya-puru!a^ paßyanti ta^ s)raya% The last line is especially significant: jyoti% pr(ti-tanu^ hira@yapuru!am. Jyoti% means effulgence and love and this has taken its form as the heart and halo of Chaitanya Mahåprabhu. Here is Guru Mahåråj’s miracle. So many pa@#its can understand the Sanskrit language but they cannot understand the gist of the ecstasy inside the Sanskrit language. This is a fact.

Religion of the Heart

The Upani!ads very clearly say, nåyam åtmå bala-h(nena labhyo, nåyam åtmå pravachanena labhyo na medhayå na bahunå ßrutena. “You may know so many things, and you may have much intelligence, medhayå, but without the grace of Nityånanda Prabhu, and Baladev, you cannot understand anything.” But, yam evai!a v~@ute tena labhyas, “When K~!@a in the form of Ír( Gurudev will give you the Gåyatr( Mantram and you meditate on it with your full existence, you will understand it.” Here there is no question. Everywhere there are many questions and everywhere there are many difficulties, but this fact is very clear, tasyai!a åtmå viv~@ute tanu^ svåm. If you do not have the ability to see—like owls do not like to see the sun—how will you see? How will a man with no eyes see? Andhi bh)ta chak!u yåra vi!aya dh)lite kemane se para-tattva påibe dekhite. How will one whose eyes are blinded by the dust of material conceptions see? We need the eyes to see In Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s explanation of the ®g Veda mantra he used the word s)raya%. Guru Mahåråj used it only to give honor to the Vedas, especially the Upani!ads. S)raya% means the demigods but Guru Mahåråj did not explain the meaning that way. He gave this meaning: “The demigods can see but they can never see the hira@ya-puru!am {the Golden Lord, Mahåprabhu} without the mercy of jyoti% pr(ti-tanum. Without the mercy of Mahåprabhu and without the mercy of Nityånanda Prabhu, s)raya%, the demigods, can never see. Without Their mercy they cannot see.” This is a fact and Lord Brahmå himself said it: jånanta eva jånantu ki^ bah)ktyå na me prabho manaso vapu!o våcho vaibhava^ tava gochara% {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.14.38}

Kåñëa’s Transcendental Flute

“Whoever will say they know K~!@a’s Pastimes can say that. But I say I cannot understand even a small amount of Your unlimited glories. My whole existence is blind without Your mercy. Therefore I am misguided. I don’t want to say too much. The only thing I can say is I do not want to say too much because I cannot understand mentally, verbally or bodily Your unlimited Pastimes.” Ki^ bah)ktyå na me means, “It is not necessary to say many things, only that I cannot understand Your unlimited Pastimes.”

Chapter 4

Krsna . . . ’s Unparalleled Beauty and Opulence asamånordhva-r)pa-ßr(-vismåpita-charåchara% “K~!@a’s personal beauty and opulence are beyond compare.”

he fourth quality Ír(la R)pa Goswåm( presents as the unique possession of K~!@a, which no other form or incarnation of the Lord has, is K~!@a’s incredible beauty: asamånordhva-r)pa-ßr(vismåpita-charåchara%.

Mad by beauty How much beauty does K~!@a have? K~!@a’s beauty is beyond compare. K~!@a becomes mad when He sees His own beauty. In K~!@a’s house there are so many mirrors that sometimes He is afraid to go inside because when He sees His own beauty He forgets Himself. Ír(la Guru Mahåråj said K~!@a has so much beauty because He is Reality, and Reality’s nature is the Supreme Personality of Godhead—Reality the Beautiful. ßyåma^ hira@ya-paridhi^ vanamålya-barhadhåtu-pravåla-na$a-ve!am anavratå^se vinyasta-hastam itare@a dhunånam abja^ kar@otpalålaka-kapola-mukhåbja-håsam {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.23.22} 101

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This verse describes the beauty of K~!@a. “K~!@a always has a crown with peacock feathers and flowers in it. His cloth is golden and He is always bedecked with flower garlands made from fresh wild flowers. He is always dancing and playing on His flute.” There are no weapons in V~ndåvan. When K~!@a killed the various demons—P)tanå, Vatsåsura, Keß(, etc.—He did it all by hand. Sometimes He uses an arm or leg or another part of His body, but never any weapon. Also we see in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam {9.24.65}: yasyånana^ makara-ku@#ala-chåru-kar@abhråjat-kapola-subhaga^ savilåsa-håsam nityotsava^ na tat~pur d~ßibhi% pibantyo nåryo naråß cha muditå% kupitå nimeß cha “K~!@a’s face is so beautiful. It is decorated with ornaments such as earrings that resemble sharks. His ears are beautiful, His cheeks brilliant and His smile is attractive to everyone. Whoever sees K~!@a sees a festival. Simply by seeing K~!@a one sees a festival taking place. “When the demigods are flying in their airplanes with their wives and they see K~!@a walking through the forest of V~ndåvan herding His cows and playing His flute, they are having a festival in their airplanes. K~!@a’s beauty is so overwhelming for everyone that the gop(s are angry at the creator, Lord Brahmå, for making eyes that blink because in that split second they can’t see K~!@a.” When the gop(s see K~!@a and Balaråm roaming in the V~ndåvan forest they say: målånup~kta-paridhåna-vichitra-veßau madhye virejatur ala^ paßu-påla-go!$hyå^ ra&ge yathå na$a-varau kvacha gåyamånau {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 10.21.8} “Dressed in a charming variety of garments, decorated with

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garlands, peacock feathers, lotuses, lilies, newly grown mango sprouts and clusters of flower buds, K~!@a and Balaråm shine forth magnificently among the assembly of cowherd boys. They look just like the best of dancers appearing on a dramatic stage, and sometimes They even sing.” Unique loveliness In Ír( Brahmå-sa^hitå there are many ßlokas describing K~!@a’s beauty. ålola-chandraka-lasad-vanamålya-va^ß(ratnå&gada^ pra@aya-keli-kalå-vilåsam ßyåma^ tri-bha&ga-lalita^ niyata-prakåßa^ govindam ådi-puru!a^ tam aha^ bhajåmi {Ír( Brahmå-sa^hitå, 5.31} •lola-chandraka-lasad-vanamålya-va^ß(: K~!@a’s dearest lover has made a vanamålya {forest garland} with peacock feathers and forest flowers and given it to Him. There is nothing else on that garland except forest flowers and peacock feathers gathered from the forest. There are no jewels, diamonds or anything else, only forest flowers and peacock feathers. Ratnå&gada^ pra@aya-kelikalå-vilåsam. Since K~!@a is playing with the gop(s it is necessary to dress like them. Mother Yaßodå has given K~!@a some nice dress, golden ornaments, bracelets, ankle bracelets, etc. and He is wearing them and playing with the gop(s. Íyåma^ tri-bha&ga-lalita^ niyata-prakåßam: K~!@a’s color is so beautiful that it gives peace to the eyes. It isn’t effulgent like Nåråya@’s. It is soothing the eyes and attracting them like a magnet. ve@u^ kva@antam aravinda-dalåyatåk!a^barhåvata^sam asitåmbuda-sundarå&gam kandarpa-ko$i-kaman(ya-viße!a-ßobha^ govindam ådi-puru!a^ tam aha^ bhajåmi {Ír( Brahmå-sa^hitå, 5.30}

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K~!@a’s eyes are like blooming lotus petals and He always has a peacock feather in His hair. His beauty is like the form and color of a blue rain cloud and He charms millions and millions of cupids. Ko$i-kaman(ya-viße!a-ßobham: when millions of cupids see K~!@a they faint. His divine form is that beautiful. This is Lord Brahmå’s description so we must believe it. Alive with the mood of love In Ír(la Guru Mahåråj’s composition, Ír( Ír( Prema-dhåma-devastotram, he wrote r)pa-råsa-ra&garam {verse 2}, K~!@a’s limbs are “alive with the mood of love that emerges and continually flows from His beautiful form.” His beauty is inconceivable, r)pa-råsal(lå. Every part of K~!@a’s body wants to show itself to other parts. A hand wants to show itself to the other hand. A leg wants to show itself to the mouth and the mouth wants to show itself to other parts. Every part wants to show its beauty to others. All parts of His body want to show their beauty to the other parts. a&gåni yasya sakalendriya-v~tti-manti paßyanti pånti kalayanti chira^ jaganti ånanda-chinmaya-sad-ujjvala-vigrahasya govindam ådi-puru!a^ tam aha^ bhajåmi {Ír( Brahmå-sa^hitå, 5.32} “With each part of His transcendental body He can do the function of any other part. With any part He maintains and manifests all the universes, both spiritual and material. All the parts of His body are interchangeable, each being as beautiful as any other. His form has that type of truth, beauty and the most dazzling splendor.” When K~!@a was present the whole creation was stunned to see His divine form. There were sixteen thousand girls waiting to marry Him. They were arrested by King Jaråsandha, but when

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they were released, they became mad when they saw K~!@a. Everyone ran towards Him and gave Him a garland. We need to search for Ír( K~!@a, Reality the Beautiful K~!@a is the Cause of all causes. This is essentially explained in the first ßloka of Ír( Brahmå-sa^hitå: (ßvara% parama% k~!@a%, sach-chid-ånanda-vigraha% anådir ådir govinda%, sarva-kåra@a-kåra@am Lord Nåråya@ or other forms of the Lord do not have such beauty. These are the four qualities K~!@a has that Nåråya@ or other forms or incarnations of the Lord do not have. Good question, good answer—conclusion The question about K~!@a’s unique qualities was a good one and I think the answer was also good because through these topics many things have entered your heart and also through this answer another desire was fulfilled. We are searchers of the spiritual world, of spiritual life and of God, and through these topics we have got a chance to explain something about the glories of K~!@a. We have received a clue as to whose lotus feet we should worship and who we should take shelter of. There are many demigods and many forms of the Lord—Keßava, Govinda, Dåmodar and many others as well. Mahåprabhu expressed His mind in this way: kåhå& mora prå@a-nåtha mural(-vadana kåhå& karo& kåhå& på& vrajendra-nandana {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 2.15} “Where is the Lord of My life who is playing His flute? What

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shall I do now? Where should I go to find the son of Mahåråj Nanda?” There is also a ßloka in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam {10.8.46}: nanda% kim akarod brahman, ßreya eva^ mahodayam yaßodå cha mahå-bhågå, papau yasyå% stana^ hari% “O Bråhma@a, what pious activities did Nanda Mahåråj perform to receive the Supreme Personality of Godhead K~!@a as his son? And what pious activities did mother Yaßodå perform that made the Supreme Personality of Godhead K~!@a call her ‘Mother’ and suck her breasts?” The supreme benefit of our life At the opening of the Chandrodaya Mandir in Måyåpur in 1973, I spoke the following ßloka: ka^ prati kathayitum (ße, samprati ko vå prat(tim åyåtu go-pati-tanayå-kuje, gopa-vadh)$(-vi$a^ brahma {Ír( Chaitanya-charitåm~ta, Madhya 19.98} The meaning is, “Whom shall I tell, and who will believe me, when I say the Supreme Personality of Godhead, K~!@a, is playing in the courtyard of Nanda Mahåråj? He is playing with the gop(s and gopa-bålakas on the banks of the Yamunå. He is playing in Íyåma Ku@#a, Rådhå Ku@#a and in the caves of Giriråj Govardhan. He is fighting in the arena with Ka^sa. His Pastimes are going on everywhere in madhura V~ndåvan. If one leaves this area, he cannot go to any other place and find such Pastimes.” Whoever will hear K~!@a-l(lå will be attracted by K~!@a. He will never go to any other place. The Name of K~!@a attracts everyone and gives joy to our hearts. This is the meaning of the word “K~!@a.”

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Chaitanya Mahåprabhu said, Bhaja K~!@a kaha K~!@a laha K~!@a Nåma. This is the way to surrender to K~!@a: take the Name of K~!@a, surrender to K~!@a and give everything to K~!@a. You will be supremely benefited in your spiritual life. All the Scriptures say this. Never abuse any god or demigod or any incarnation of the Lord, but supremely glorify Lord K~!@a. ete chå^ßa-kalå% pu^sa%, k~!@as tu bhagavån svayam indråri-vyåkula^ loka^, m~#ayanti yuge yuge {Ír(mad-Bhågavatam, 1.3.28} K~!@a is the Creator of the whole creation. This is stated in Ír(mad-Bhågavatam and in Ír( Brahmå-sa^hitå. We must remember this. Chant Hare K~!@a, give attention to K~!@a and be happy.

Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h Book List These are some of the many books and magazines published in English by Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h and its affiliated branches worldwide. Books by Ír(la Ír(dhar Mahåråj Ír(mad Bhagavad-G(tå, The Hidden Treasure of the Sweet Absolute Ír( Ír( Prapanna-j(vanåm~tam Positive and Progressive Immortality Ír( Ír( Prema Dhama Deva Stotram Absolute Harmony Centenary Anthology Divine Aspiration Holy Engagement Home Comfort Inner Fulfillment Loving Search for the Lost Servant Ocean of Nectar Search for Ír( K~!@a, Reality the Beautiful Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion {I-IV} Ír( Guru and His Grace Subjective Evolution, The Play of the Sweet Absolute The Golden Staircase The Golden Volcano of Divine Love The Guardian of Devotion

Books by Ír(la Govinda Mahåråj Affectionate Guidance Bhagavat Darshan Dignity of the Divine Servitor Divine Guidance Divine Message for the Devotees Golden Reflections In Search of the Original Source Religion of the Heart The Benedictine Tree of Divine Aspiration The Divine Servitor Ír( Guru Varga Ír( Brahma Sa^hitå Quintessence of Reality the Beautiful The Bhågavat {Ír(la Bhaktivinod ¢håkur} Ír( Chaitanya Mahåprabhu His Life and Precepts {Ír(la Bhaktivinod ¢håkur} Relative Worlds {Ír(la Bhakti Siddhånta Saraswat( ¢håkur} Ír( Chaitanya Saraswat( {The Voice of Ír( Chaitanyadev} For more information on these and other publications in over twenty languages, please visit Ír( Chaitanya Såraswat Ma$h’s website: www.scsmath.com